Just Another Broken Soul
by JustLittle0ldMe
Summary: [SasuNaru] Naruto's life has little meaning ever since his parents passed away. He suffers violent abuse at the hands of his foster father and fades into the background at his school. Everyone needs somebody and this boys soul is almost shattered with loneliness; will someone help Naruto in saving himself before it is too late? Warning: Extreme violence. Finished.
1. Chapter 1

"Get back here you fucking brat!" Mizuki roared; his voice vibrating off the stained walls that enclosed their small home.

Naruto whimpered and ran faster, he had to get too his room, had to get too his sanctuary; the only place he thought of as safe. His legs ached and he knew they would be decorated in bruises tomorrow morning, from where Mizuki had kicked him in a fit of pure rage. It was nothing new. He should have become used to it by now. So why was there crystal like tears still running down his cheeks?

Panting heavily Naruto scrambled up the stairs, ignoring the sharp pain stabbing at his limbs; he could not allow Mizuki to do anymore damage to his broken body tonight, he was at his limit. With his foster father close behind him, he threw himself into his safe haven and slammed the door shut; locking out the man who caused him harm on a daily basis.

His room was bland; cream walls where the only aspect that stood out, there was a small mattress placed in the corner with a thin, grey blanket Naruto had sneaked from Mizuki's room, bunched up on top. There were no toys, no games, no luxuries that you would expect a teenager of Naruto's age to have; he was not born into privilege, like so many others who attended his school.

"What are you doing, you waste of fucking space!? Get out here now! Don't make me wait! I swear I'll kill you, you little demon!" continuous pounding at his bedroom door, coupled with the verbal assault thrown at him from outside his sanctuary caused Naruto to tremble with fear. He knew that Mizuki would get tired eventually, finish off his bottle of vodka and pass out in the battered sofa, leaving Naruto in peace for a short time. However this thought did nothing to halt the steady stream of tears and muffled cries coming from the blonde haired boy.

Limping over to his worn mattress, he curled up in the foetal position in order to conserve the little heat available to him. Over and over in his mind he reminded himself why he stayed with Mizuki, why he accepted his violent ways and never reported the abuse inflicted on his person. He would never go back to that terrifying place again. He refused. Anything, even his foster father, was better than the horrendous experience he was made to endure at the orphanage.

"I can't go back there…I can't…j-just stick with it…it'll b-be okay Naruto…" he quietly sobbed to himself, trying to recreate the much needed comfort that his guardian was supposed to produce for him.

The blonde haired boy knew that forcing himself to attend school the next day was going to be pure hell; from past experiences Naruto was aware that the pain from his injuries only got worse as they slowly healed. It was inevitable.

Clenching his eyes shut and forcing out the remainder of his tears in the process he waited for sleep to claim him, conscience of the fact that dreaming was his only escape. His only rest bite to the unbearable nightmare that was his life. Surprisingly his dreams consisted of everything he'd ever wanted out of existence; parents, friends, love, comfort, security and the feeling of being needed by another human being. All that he had in his possession were his dreams and fantasies, which is why he treasured the small slices of death given to him every night. With these final thoughts he drifted off into blissful unconsciousness.

Golden sunlight swept across tanned skin, illuminating the blonde, silk like hair as crystal blue eyes opened to the morning chorus. Yawning and wiping away the remainders of sleep from his eyes, Naruto checked the time from a small damaged clock located on his left wall; 6;15 AM, thank god he had not woken up late. Pushing the thin blanket from his body he decided it was time to survey the damage, even though the Uzumaki was too young to be employed he realised he would need to treat his wounds if any were infected; he loathed breaking in to his savings.

Rolling the bottom of his trouser legs and shirt up he cringed at the dark blue, almost black, splodgy bruises that littered his limbs and torso. Half of his body was adorned in small gashes where he had fallen onto razor sharp pieces of smashed glass after Mizuki had thrown him across the room. It was not uncommon for his foster father to break mirrors and windows and ornaments in a fit of rage. Heaving out a sigh as he carefully rolled down his clothing, he resigned himself to the fact that school was to begin in a few hours and he would have to stop off at the nearest store to purchase some cream for his injuries.

As quietly as he could, he rolled off his worn mattress and gingerly changed into his school uniform; trying as hard as possible to avoid touching his aching body. He had only been attending Konoha High for a few months now, his foster father had thought it necessary to move to a new town due to the fact that his low wage job could not support both individuals plus the house they used to live in; not that the money Mizuki earned was ever spent on Naruto anyway. Aside from small scraps of food needed to keep the boy alive, his Mizuki gave him nothing. Evething Naruto owned, which in truth was next to nothing, had come from the savings his parents had left in their will.

In all of the two years living with Mizuki he had come to realize one thing; the man was extremely careful when abusing his foster son, even when he was intoxicated. No one had ever found out as his injuries where always placed on either his limbs or his torso, areas which could easily be covered.

Releasing another drawn out sigh Naruto tiptoed down the stairs with as much grace as humanly possible with the pain he was currently experiencing. Reaching the door he glanced back to find Mizuki passed out and snoring on the battered sofa, an empty bottle of the strongest vodka knocked over in the corner. Opening the door to let himself out the blonde boy came to one conclusion; it was going to be a very long day.

Authors Note:

Okay I'm not too sure whether I should make this fic a romance between Sasuke and Naruto or a romance between Kakashi as teacher and Naruto; or even just a friendship fic between any character and Naruto (preferably Gaara ;).

Reviews are always welcome; I love to get feedback to know if I'm doing it right or not. Also let me know if you guys have any ideas sometimes I get such bad writers block or am too scared to write certain characters in case they turn out wrong and OOC.


	2. Chapter 2

The trek to school was no less painful for Naruto and as he arrived at the gate panting heavily, he felt like collapsing; only kept standing through sheer will power alone. No one spared him a second glance as the first bell rang for students to hurry along to their lessons. No one ever did. He was completely invisible. This thought alone was more painful than any physical injury ever placed on his body; it almost crushed his soul.

With hopeless dull eyes the blonde haired boy took out his time table and checked his lessons for the day. Disgust took over his features as he realized he had double chemistry this morning followed by double maths and only one hour of English. The majority of the lessons he was forced to attend, Naruto hated. He never particularly excelled in any of them, however there was one exception; English. One of the main reasons Naruto continued to show up to the torturous institution known as school was due to the fact that he absolutely adored English. It was his release. It allowed Naruto to express himself without restraint or guilt; he knew that if he was in possession of enough money, his room would be overflowing with books, from nearly every genre.

Placing the crumpled piece of paper back into his pocket, he clutched his backpack and started climbing the stairs to his chemistry lesson. Gritting his teeth and clenching his hands into fists around the straps of his bag, he fought against the pain that threatened to overwhelm him. He would not give in. He would not stop or complain because that would involve accepting defeat and knowing that Mizuki had won. This was something Naruto would never do. He may never have fought back against his foster father but he still had the will to continue and pushing forward was the only way to ensure that he escaped the dreadful situation he was currently in.

Finally arriving at his classroom he opened the door and entered into the crowded space. Mindless chatter reached his ears as groups of students gathered around their friends to talk about their weekend; it was obvious Kabuto Sensei had not yet arrived.

Glazed blue eyes quickly scanned the available seats and landed on an empty desk in the back corner of the room. As he made his way over to his chosen seat he caught snippets of conversations between students. Sakura and Ino, two girls who were extremely popular with the pupils that attended the school, were talking quietly and occasionally giggling, whilst subtly pointing to a pale boy at the top corner of the room. He had dark blue, almost black hair that flicked out at the bottom ends, his hands where resting underneath his chin with his fingers entwined together; elbows resting on his desk.

The red haired girl with glasses who sat next to him, was talking to him, trying to grab his attention with anything that popped into her mind, however he looked completely nonchalant. His mouth was etched into a straight line and endless black orbs where gazing blankly forward; not even acknowledging the girl efforts at flirting.

Naruto sneered. "Guys like that have everything." He whispered harshly under his breath. He could not deny the boy was handsome, now that Naruto was able to see him from a relatively close distance rather than from afar, he realized the dark haired boy had striking features; a particular sharp beauty about him. A twinge of jealousy began to form in Naruto's stomach; why was it so unfair? Why did it have to be his life that was fucked up? Why couldn't he be the perfect one for once?

Suddenly glancing to side, vacant dark orbs, and dull blue eyes met each other from across the room. Naruto paused as he watched black eyes regard him coolly, his expression a mixture of surprise with the remnants of a glare he had been directing at the dark haired boy only moments ago. The eye contact lasted considerably longer than it should have, each boy silently willing the other to look away first; to accept defeat. A pitch black, elegant eyebrow rose to the tanned boy's unspoken challenge before a smirk curled at the right corner of his lips. Taking in the sight of the blonde for one last second before turning away, the dark haired boy let out a quiet "Hn" from his throat as he once again flitted his gaze to the front of the classroom; the red haired girl next to him had not even acknowledged the exchange, to engaged in her story to notice.

Clenching his fists and giving a final glare to the dark haired boy Naruto continued walking and arrived at his desk. He placed his backpack on the right chair and carefully sat down on the seat closest to the wall. Scowling as Kabuto Sensei entered the classroom, he tried his hardest to ignore the crippling pain that had been inflicted on his body the previous night. He still had to stop off at the nearest shop to buy medicine.

"Everyone get out your Chemistry books and turn to page 64. I trust you've all managed to complete the homework I set for you." Kabuto said with a smirk; pushing his glasses up his nose as they began to slide down. He always had a secret suspicion that this man took pleasure in punishing his students and wanted them all to fail. Honestly, it would not surprise Naruto.

Turning his head to look out the window, he watched the dull grey clouds collect together forming a thick grey blanket over the buildings; small droplets of rain had already begun to form on the glass pane. Focusing his gaze on the dark haired boys back, he regarded him once again; the same spike of jealousy coiling in his stomach and a feeling that Naruto did not recognize accompanied it. For a split second the feeling confused him and he decided to ignore it until it went away, determined to deal with it another time. Forcing himself to pay attention to Kabuto Sensei's lecture he sighed, coming to the conclusion, for the second time in 24 hours, that yes; it was indeed going to be a very long day.

Authors Note:

I decided to make this a SasuNaru fic, because I've always wanted to write one. Sorry to anyone who wanted something different! I don't mind doing another story, if you enjoy this one so far, for the pairing you want.

Hope you enjoyed so far and reviews are much appreciated I like to know if a characters OOC or if I'm doing something wrong!


	3. Chapter 3

Walking to his secluded area among the trees, Naruto placed his hand on his stomach as it growled violently in hunger, begging him to fill it with food. Out of the corner of his eye he could see other students walking out of the school building with hot meals to satisfy them for lunch. He only wished he could be one of them.

Glancing down in defeat at his tattered sneakers, he threw his backpack on the sodden earth and sat on top, using it as a makeshift seat with his back propped up on the tree behind him. His eyes began to close for a small rest bite and a sigh was released from his chapped lips as pressure was taken off his aching limbs.

His day so far had been terrible, two sets of chemistry coupled with two sets of maths; perhaps the gods where punishing him for a crime committed in a past life. Concentration within these lessons was near enough impossible as his mind kept wandering to a certain dark haired boy sitting at the front of his chemistry class. Naruto did not know his name. Had people acknowledged him, he would have gladly learned their names. However this was not the case and the only names he had logged into his memory were Sakura and Ino; due to their participation in class and their constant bickering and Kakashi Hatake his laid back, grey haired English teacher. Being a relatively new student always had its drawbacks.

Knowing the thought would irritate him until he discovered the name of the raven; he made a promise to himself to be more attentive toward the boy and the people who surrounded him. Coming to this conclusion confused Naruto greatly. Normally he did not socialize with other teenagers his age, or even people in general for that matter, however there was something about the boy who he had briefly made eye contact with. Granted, at first glance he appeared incredibly arrogant and carried around an air of perfection that demanded people notice him, yet Naruto found himself drawn to the boy. As jealous as he was, he knew it was not the dark haired boys fault for the hopeless situation he found himself in and even if the raven did not want to befriend him, Naruto had to at least talk to him, to quell his curiosity.

Slowly, Naruto started to drift into the safe confinements of sleep, deciding that the bell, to signal the end of lunch, would rouse him. He had almost entered a dream-like state when quite suddenly, out of nowhere, a shrill voice screamed;

"SASUKE!"

Crystal blue eyes jolted open and consequently his body jerked, sending red hot pain throughout his entire being. Silently cringing to himself and gritting his teeth in agony, he directed his gaze upward to find the red headed girl with glasses, shouting across the school campus. She appeared to be looking for someone; hence the calling of a name.

He watched her, bemused, as she walked back and forth between buildings, peering into them every once in a while, until he felt a presence behind him; to the left of his tree. Normally, he would shrug it off as students passing by with their friends to get across campus but this person didn't seem to be moving. Twisting his neck to take a glimpse at the student to his left, mild shock gradually transformed his features. There, crouching down beside the tree, hidden from the view of most of the students who had gathered outside school to socialize, was the raven haired boy. His form only inches behind Naruto's own.

Once again blue eyes met cool black. There was no expression on his flawless face that Naruto could see, but every few seconds his gaze would flicker to the red head, whom had just entered a school building, before once again returning and locking with Naruto's own. His short, black, slightly flicked, hair was gently swaying in the breeze and his white shirt was somewhat dotted with moisture from the drizzle that had begun to fall from the sky. No one spoke. No one moved. No one breathed. Until…

"What the hell are you doing?" Naruto growled, only slightly miffed that this perfect stranger had decided to invade his personal area and interrupt his peace.

The raven regarded Naruto silently before blinking at the blonde's small outburst.

"Hn." Was all the answer the dark haired boy gave whilst he shifted his posture and assumed the position Naruto had taken; his bag placed on the ground with him sitting on top, however instead of his back leaning against the tree it was his left shoulder.

After the raven had stopped moving and brought his gaze back to Naruto's face, the blonde clenched his fist, annoyed that he had been ignored; damn it, why couldn't he just be acknowledged for once!

"Hey! I was talking to you, Basta-mmmph!" Naruto growled once again, although this time, a pale hand clamped over his mouth slightly muffling the last parts of his sentence and stopping him from speaking.

"Be quite, Idiot." The raven hissed, slight irritation present in his voice. His endless black orbs glanced to the side at the red headed girl, who had just exited a building and resumed her search across campus. The trees in front managed to hide both boys from her view.

Naruto followed his gaze after he removed the cool hand from his mouth; he hated when people did that, it reminded him of how he was forced to stay silent whenever Mizuki became violent, not that the neighbours would do anything if they overheard his screams. Swallowing the fear that had begun to surface and placing his hands in his pockets to halt their slight tremble, he hoped the boy had not seen. Naruto loathed showing weakness in front of anyone, he acted pathetic enough in his foster father's presence, he would not cower from any other individual; let alone the raven.

The dark haired boy did not move his gaze from the red head until she had left their line of vision; he certainly hadn't seen Naruto's reaction when he covered his mouth, too preoccupied with remaining undiscovered.

After returning his gaze to the raven and watching him for a few more minutes, Naruto began to piece together what the dark haired boy was doing. A grin started to etch its way across his tanned face, as pride swelled in his gut. He finally had the answer to the question that tormented him.

"Sasuke! Your names Sasuke." He stated with, barely concealed, smugness; pointing his finger at the newly named, raven.

Authors Note:

I'm so sorry it's so short but I really have to get to college! I'm so terrible at time keeping.

Let me know if you liked it or not. I'm also sorry to people who wanted a KakaNaru fic but I really wanted to do a SasuNaru pairing, I will do another KakaNaru fic though after I finish this I promise!


	4. Chapter 4

Slightly raising an elegant eyebrow, Sasuke snorted.

"Well done, idiot. "He said, sarcasm lacing every word, before he rolled his dark eyes in exasperation.

Naruto's grin slowly began to fade as irritation took over at the raven's attitude, gritting his teeth and digging his fingernails into his palms, he glared at Sasuke.

"Bastard! I'm not an idiot! And besides, I bet you don't know my name." Naruto retorted cockily, slowly crossing his arms over his chest as to not agitate his wounds and wince, resulting in unwanted attention; he turned right round so his body was completely facing Sasuke. Although the blonde boy would never admit it, he secretly enjoyed this banter, he was finally being acknowledged by another human being. To this boy, to Sasuke, he was not invisible and that thought caused pleasant warmth to gather in his stomach, creating an almost giddy feeling inside.

Unfazed by Naruto's insult, Sasuke stared at the blond calmly, not speaking a word. Although Naruto's face was the definition of haughty after a long silence between the two, if one looked close enough they could detect a slight frown in his features; he couldn't help the minor disappointment he felt from slightly leaking into his expression. "Ha! See, I knew you wouldn't know my n-"

"Naruto." Sasuke stated evenly, cutting the blond boy off mid-sentence. His expression was nonchalant however his lips gave a small twitch, showcasing his amusement, only adding to the air of arrogance that he carried. Naruto spluttered, "Huh!?" obviously not expecting the raven to answer let alone answer correctly.

"Your name, it's Naruto." He scoffed before the left side of his lips curled into a small smirk "Or have you forgotten, idiot."

Ignoring the insult for once, Naruto could only stare at the raven in disbelief. To many individuals, someone knowing or remembering their name was no big deal at all, however Naruto had been so alone for so very long. A ghost in other peoples presence, completely invisible. Even Mizuki did not call him Naruto. But this perfect human being knew his name, had chosen to sit beside him and suddenly, the pleasant warmth returned, coiling inside of his stomach.

An idiotic grin began to form on his face and in response; Sasuke raised a dark eyebrow, slightly amused that the blond could be happy over such an insignificant matter.

The raven haired boy was not known to be social, mostly ignoring everyone who tried to converse with him. Yet when he had first seen the blonde, he was intrigued to say the least; he had never seen someone with such fire burning behind distant eyes, just begging to be released. The dark haired boy had known his name from overhearing a conversation Kakashi Sensei had with Naruto, only a few weeks ago, over a book they were meant to be studying in English. He had remembered it ever since.

A load rumble jerked him from his reverie and he glanced down in slight alarm at where it had come from; Naruto's stomach. Once again raising a dark eyebrow he glanced back up to Naruto's face, silently asking for an explanation.

Naruto's expression froze in horror for a few seconds before morphing into embarrassment and he directed his gaze downward; what he wouldn't give for some type of food right now.

Scratching the back of his neck sheepishly, keeping his eyes locked on the ground he mumbled out, "I forgot to bring lunch today." Not mentioning that he had also not had breakfast or any type of sustenance the day before. A quite "Hn" reached his ears coupled with rustling a few seconds later and then only silence.

Raising his eyes from the damp earth, he saw half of a sandwich wrapped in cling-film and a bag of crisps; offered to him by a pale hand. Stunned at the fact that Sasuke had practically given him his food, blue eyes met cool black, and his jaw dropped at the sudden kindness.

"I've already eaten, stop staring and take the food moron." Sasuke grunted with a roll of his eyes, shaking the hand that contained the offered food for emphasis.

Still quite shocked at the raven's actions, but returning his features to a small grin, he reached out a tanned hand and took the food. His fingers brushing with Sasuke's for a brief second and when they returned to his lap, he could still feel small prickles of electricity dancing on them.

"Guess you're not as big of a bastard as I first thought, ne?" Naruto said grinning, his eyes beginning to show signs of the sparkle he had lost many years ago, before he proceeded to devour the food he had been given. Forgetting that in the process, Sasuke had insulted him for the umpteenth time since they began their little conversation.

"Hn, whatever." Sasuke snorted, folding his arms across his chest and moving around so he could rest his back against the tree whilst still being able to see Naruto from the corner of his eye.

A comfortable silence enveloped the two, one preoccupied with eating his gratefully received food, and the other content with watching the drizzle slowly transform into full raindrops; occasionally directing his gaze at the blonde boy next to him before closing his eyes and resting his head against the tree.

After finishing his small meal, Naruto sighed happily, rubbing his satisfied belly and adopting a similar position to Sasuke; both boys where side by side resting against the tree.

"Thanks, I guess." He muttered, shifting slightly, uncomfortable with showing vulnerability to another person for fear the raven would walk off, calling him pathetic as he did so.

Black orbs cracked open at the quite noise, only just catching what the blonde had said before a smirk wormed its way across his lips and they closed for a second time.

"Hn."

Naruto found himself rather irritated at the lack of response from the raven and a small pout situated itself on his features. "I take it back, you are a bastard. You really should talk more, it would improve your attitude." He growled out in agitation. Of all the people to come and sit next to him, it had to be the cold, arrogant one. Just his luck.

Not that Naruto wasn't grateful for both the company and the food, of course he was, but he had made a promise to himself to try to get to know Sasuke and the boy was not co-operating; it was rather infuriating.

Still no sound or reaction came from the dark haired boy.

Just when Naruto was about to give up on befriending the raven and pass his actions off as a fluke, Sasuke spoke.

"Which school did you transfer from?" he asked Naruto casually, and just like that, with one simple question, a bond was opened between the blonde haired boy and the dark haired boy.

Their conversation lasted the entire lunch with them speaking about anything that came into their minds, predominantly Naruto was the one who talked, telling Sasuke of his love for English and of a certain Japanese fast-food and how he loved to walk in winter when the snow fell and how he had always wanted a dog. Sasuke listened intently and occasionally pitched in, telling Naruto about himself; his love for poetry, how he had moved here from japan when he was 8, his brother Itachi who worked as a detective for the city police force and how he had once wanted to follow in his brothers footsteps; however now his goal was to become a well-recognised author.

When the bell rang, signalling the beginning of their final lesson of the day, both boys walked side by side in comfortable silence toward the school building for their English lesson. Surprisingly, as Naruto sat in his usual corner after entering their classroom, Sasuke quietly joined him. A flurry of butterflies swirled in the blonde's stomach and he grinned at the boy next to him, glad that he was not alone anymore; he finally had a companion, he finally had a friend. Sasuke rolled his dark eyes at Naruto's reaction to him sitting beside the blonde, inwardly grateful to have found someone that actually wanted to be his friend and was not put off by his anti-social personality or cold aura. Not that he would admit that out load.

As Kakashi sensei casually entered their classroom with one hand in his pocket, only seconds after the students had settled down, both boys directed their attention to their teacher and waited for him to begin their lesson.

Even though Naruto knew what was waiting for him when he returned home, he would not let that ruin his mood; he finally had friendship, he finally had a companion. He was no longer invisible.

Authors Note:

I'm not sure whether to end it here or not. Let me know if you want more, I've just not decided on the direction this story will go in. I know someone commented saying it was slow moving and I'm so sorry for that, I'm sort of a perfectionist and like to get every single detail crammed in XD sorry!

Hope you all like it and thank you to everyone who commented or read the story its very much appreciated ^^ 3.


	5. Chapter 5

After their rather uneventful lesson had ended, Naruto stood and packed his books away, hovering for a few moments, still unsure of whether or not Sasuke would want to walk with him to the school gates. However his doubts where shattered when the raven, after also returning his books to his bag, turned to him from where he stood; halfway to the classroom door.

"Well, are you coming moron?" he said with a slightly arrogant tone present in his voice; other than that his features betrayed no emotion. A small grin formed on Naruto's face at the realization that Sasuke was waiting for him, before he registered the other boy's words and a frown replaced the grin from the insult.

"You know, you really need to stop calling me that, Bastard." He growled out, annoyed at the superiority complex the raven possessed.

Still his actions contradicted his words and he walked to join Sasuke, quite obviously forgiving him for his patronizing manor. As they walked out of the classroom and down the school halls side by side, the raven glanced at Naruto from the corner of his eyes and a slight smirk curled at the left of his lips.

"Hn."

Gritting his teeth in agitation at Sasuke's lack of response, the blonde gave a slight glare in his direction. However, the dark haired boy paid no mind to the heated look he knew he was receiving as they slowly approached the exit to the school building.

"Which direction is your house in?" the raven asked, his voice calm and his eyes staring straight ahead at the double doors in front of them. He reached out a pale hand to open the door, holding one ajar just enough so Naruto could fit through and join him.

Giving Sasuke a small grin, Naruto walked through the door, thanking him with a small mumble as they walked down the steps toward the school gate. Sasuke gave an, almost unnoticeable, nod and turned his black eyes to the blonde as they walked, waiting for Naruto to answer his question.

"I normally walk that way and take a couple of alleyways. It's about an hour walk from here." The blonde explained, raising his hand and pointing left to indicate to Sasuke which direction he meant. He tried his hardest not to show it, but talking about his home life or even just his house in general, was making him dread walking through his front door and facing Mizuki's wrath. Naruto knew he was going to be punished for locking himself in his bedroom last night. He only hoped that Mizuki was still at work. He prayed to any god that would listen, over and over in his mind that Mizuki was on a late shift at the supermarket. He didn't think he could handle the abuse tonight.

Sasuke halted abruptly in his walking as they passed the school gates to stand on the outside pavement and turned to look at Naruto; both dark eyebrows where somewhat raised and his features displayed slight disbelief.

"Your parents don't pick you up?" he asked, alarm lacing his normally, monotonous voice. Sasuke was rather surprised that anyone would allow their son to walk so far; especially when the nights became darker more quickly as winter approached.

Bringing his right arm up to scratch the back of his neck sheepishly, Naruto plastered a false grin across his face, closing his eyes in the process to hide the nervousness he felt when discussing this particular topic.

"Nahh, it's just me and my foster father. He works late a lot so I have to make my own way home." The blonde said, trying his hardest to keep his voice even and his posture casual. He swore to himself he would not start trembling or tearing up in the raven's presence; _damn it_, he would not allow his façade to crack, and he would not show Sasuke his weaknesses. He refused to be a burden.

With cool, dark orbs, Sasuke regarded him evenly but before he could comment or ask questions about what Naruto had said, a sleek black Audi slowly came to a stop and pulled up beside them on the curb. A marginally tinted window rolled down to reveal a dark haired man who vaguely resembled Sasuke. He was wearing an elegant suit, however his blazer was nowhere in sight, the first button on his collar was popped open and his tie was loosened; allowing him to have total comfort. As the man faced the two boys, Naruto could see he had cool black eyes, identical to that of Sasuke's, and deep set lines running from his eyes, giving him an almost overworked look; none of these diminished his natural attractiveness, only added to them.

"Sasuke." the dark haired man greeted with the same expression Sasuke normally wore on his face, before turning his gaze to Naruto. "You've made a friend I see." He stated and a warm smile tugged at his lips as he gave a slight nod to Naruto.

Blinking, the blonde's cheeks flushed slightly with heat, not used to being greeted in such a positive manor. Giving the man a sunny grin he raised his hand and coupled it with a small wave; doing it rather carefully as to not irritate the bruises on his torso. Their burning had not stopped.

Sasuke took his eyes from his brother, whom he had about to greet in return, and looked at Naruto, rolling his orbs as the blonde spoke.

"Hey, I'm Naruto Uzumaki, you must be Itachi." Naruto said slightly enthusiastically, the sparkle in his eyes once again returning at being able to meet one of Sasuke's family members. The pain of his injuries temporarily forgotten.

In response, Itachi gave a light chuckle, once again directing his gaze toward Sasuke. "I dread to think what he's been telling you about me." He said, an amused smile gracing his flawless features. Sasuke gave a small snort, before he glanced to the side and his lips curled into a half smile, half smirk, at his elder brothers teasing.

"Would you like a lift, Naruto-kun?" Itachi asked, using the Japanese honorific to address the blonde; his expression returning to the warm smile he originally wore.

As much as Naruto would have loved to accept the offer he knew he had to decline. The Uchiha brothers where quite obviously from wealth and he couldn't bear the thought of losing the first person who acknowledged him, when he saw the state of the four walls Naruto lived in. Not to mention the fact that if Mizuki was home early, he may already have started drinking, he would not put either of these perfect human beings in harm's way. They were the first two individuals to show him kindness in a very long time.

"Thanks, but no, there's some stuff I have to pick up on the way home and besides I don't mind walking." Naruto replied, a fake grin plastered on his face once more. In response Itachi gave a nod in understanding before he looked at Sasuke, waiting patiently for him to get in the car; warmth present in both his eyes and his expression as he watched his younger brother. Glad he had finally been able to make a friend.

Twisting his neck slightly to face Sasuke, the grin still in place, he prepared to say goodbye.

"Well, see you tomorrow then Bastard!" he said cheekily, before giving Sasuke a slight wave and walking off down the road, not waiting for the ravens retort to his insult.

"Hn. Whatever moron." Sasuke muttered, a tiny smirk present in his features. Knowing his reply did not reach Naruto's ears; he opened the car door and got into the passenger seat.

Although he insulted the blonde constantly, he rather enjoyed his presence; it was refreshing to have someone with such a personality as Naruto's, even if his smiles did seem rather forced at times. As his brother started to question him about the blonde and his day in general, he knew one thing, he was going to try his best to hold on to Naruto and keep him in his life from here on out. And halfway down the street, just about to make a turn into the shopping centre to buy his much needed medicine in order to treat his wounds, a blonde haired boy thought exactly the same about Sasuke.

Authors Note:

Hope you enjoyed it lovely's! ^^

I really hope everyone's in character, I found Itachi incredible hard to do :P.

Views and reviews are always welcome and appreciated


	6. Chapter 6

**Warning: **This chapter contains violence and implied rape. If this will offend or trigger you please do not read it.

Quietly unlocking the door to his home, Naruto saw no signs of life, and the tension started to slowly dissolve from his posture. Breathing a sigh of relief he entered his cold, bare house and swiftly made his way up the dark wooden stairs towards the bathroom. Coming to the conclusion that Mizuki was not home.

He closed the door and placed his bag on the, slightly stained, toilet seat; opening the cream and pills he had brought for his injuries. He honestly wished he had not had to break into his savings just for these items. He felt that, by doing so, he was betraying his parents. Such a weak and pathetic little boy did not deserve these small luxuries.

Sighing quietly to himself at the thoughts running through his head, he lifted up his shirt and noticeably winced at the action. Applying the antiseptic cream generously to his beaten chest, he noticed the bruises looked darker than when he had previously checked them. They looked and felt horrific. It was a miracle he had been able to hide the pain from Sasuke.

Naruto knew that he would need the cream for future injuries and so he closed the cap and placed it back in his bag, realizing that that was the safest hiding place. Dry swallowing his oral medication to help with the constant pain, he almost choked as he heard the deafening echo of the front door slamming shut.

_Shit._

In a rush of panic, Naruto took the remaining packet of pills and stuffed them in his bag, closing it, before slamming a palm over his mouth in order to stay as silent as he possibly could. His eyes widened and breath became almost frantic as fear raced through his veins. He was inwardly _begging_ any deity looking down on him that Mizuki did not know he was home.

"Get down these fucking stairs right now, you worthless piece of crap!" Mizuki bellowed and seconds later Naruto felt his legs quiver in terror, his crystal blue eyes shimmering with the beginnings of unshed tears. In his mind he kept repeating to himself that he was strong, that he shouldn't be afraid, he should stand up for himself and fight damn it! But he knew it was all a lie. He was terrified of Mizuki. Of what he might do. Of what he would do if Naruto didn't move.

Wiping his eyes furiously he resigned himself to the fact that no matter what he did, the pain would only be worse if he didn't follow Mizuki's orders. The man sounded almost sober, and a sober Mizuki meant that he could easily break down Naruto's bedroom door. The only thing the blonde haired boy could do now was give in.

Opening the door, slowly, he walked out into the hallway and down the stairs. Holding on to the rusted banister as he went to keep his whole body stable; if he let go Naruto knew he would collapse, he was trembling so fiercely. Keeping his panicked eyes locked with the floor, he reached the last step and seconds later his hair was pulled in a painful grip. The blonde cried out in pain as he was forced to make eye contact with Mizuki's steel grey eyes. He looked absolutely livid.

"Listen here you motherfucker" Mizuki hissed in a dangerously low voice, bringing his mouth to Naruto's ear and tightening his already, painful grip so that the small tears in Naruto's eyes trailed down his cheeks and he felt as if his scalp was about to be separated from his skull. "I don't ever want to see you run and lock yourself away again, you hear me? You take your beatings like the piece of fucking scum you are because it's exactly what you deserve." he continued before hauling Naruto against the corner wall so that his head crashed violently against it before bashing against the side of the small shelf behind him. "Do you understand!?" Mizuki roared.

Lying in a crumpled heap on the floor the blonde let out a sob in agony. Answering the question was almost impossible as his vision and mind blurred and he desperately tried to keep his focus on Mizuki's boots. He brought his hand up to cradle the side of his head; feeling warm, sticky liquid gathering in his hair.

Naruto was given no time to collect himself, or even try to regain his fuzzy vision, as he was kicked in the back, with steel-toed boots. Biting his lip to muffle his agonizing scream, he heard a sickening crack and felt pain explode down his spine. Even as he heard Mizuki approach the spot where he lay, broken, he could not find the will to stand and run, the pain was overwhelming.

"I said. Do. You. Fucking. Understand!" his foster father bellowed, emphasising each word with a kick to Naruto's defenceless form. The blonde's body jerked at each attack and he focused on the only thing that might save him from this torture; answering Mizuki's question.

"Yes." His slurred voice replied, forcing down the screams that threatened to tear his throat in two. Naruto's mind was still fuzzy and it was so hard to focus, he only wished that the sensation had dulled the pain his body was currently in. Unfortunately, he could still feel every ounce of agony.

Smirking maliciously to himself, Mizuki bent over the crumpled form of his foster son and once again brought his lips to the tanned ear.

"Good." He hissed before grabbing the blonde by his hair, hauling him to his feet and slamming his head against the bare coffee table.

If he was able to, Naruto would have screamed in anguish as his back spasmed in pain and the table made impact with his skull, however a few moments after the sound of Mizuki leaving the room reached his ears, his vision faded. His mind fell into blissful unconsciousness.

* * *

_A vehicle arrived at the dull orphanage that stood just on the outskirts of Suna. It looked grey and almost dismal as if shrouded in a cloud of utter despair. The blond angel did not like it one bit. He just wanted to be with his mommy and daddy again._

"_You'll like it here Naruto. Suna orphanage has children just like you who've lost their parents. I'm sure you'll make loads of friends." The golden haired woman smiled kindly at him. He could not remember her name._

"_I hope so. I don't like being alone." The innocent whispered, quite scared at the prospect of entering this threatening building. He hugged the teddy closer to his chest forcing back the tears that were about to gather in his blue orbs. Big boys didn't cry. That's what his mommy had told him._

* * *

"_Hey, look! Its that little freak!" _

"_Don't look at me, freak! You might give me a disease!"_

"_I bet your lying! I bet your parents just left you because they didn't want to deal with their freak of a son!"_

"_Freak!" _

"_Monster!"_

"_Freak!"_

_Taunting. Jeering. Bullying. Crying. Running. Escaping._

* * *

_Crystalline tears flowed constant down tanned cheeks, yet not a sound escaped his lips due to a large, slimy hand muffling any screams that may escape._

"_Shhh. Remember, this is our little secret. You're not allowed to tell anyone about this, it's just between you and me, hmm?" a smooth voice hissed as the pale man lowered his hand, unfasten the boys pants and pulled them down rather viscously._

"_Stop…Please.." the blonde begged, his voice slightly muffled by pale fingers and sobs racked his body as filthy hands touched him in places little boys should never be. _

_A deep chuckle reached his ears as he was harshly twisted round to face the wall, the hand tightening against his face so no one could hear the boys broken cries._

"_But you deserve this. Don't worry, I'm not as cruel as the others, it will only hurt for a moment." The voice whispered in his ear before the pale man thrust forward and the blonde boy's screams began._

* * *

Nightmares plagued Naruto's mind over and over again as he slept. His body still crumpled and broken and bloody and bruised, lying on the living room floor. No-one, not his neighbours or his foster father could hear his whimpering for he was passed out in the upstairs bedroom. Even in his dreams Naruto could not escape the torment the world had bestowed upon him, even Sasuke, who only hours ago had acted as a ray of sunshine in the blonde boy's dark world, could not offer the boy comfort. Perhaps he was just not worth saving. Perhaps he did deserve the pain.

Authors Note;

I'm so sorry if this is too graphic or offends anyone but I really wanted you to have a bit of back story on Naruto's past and how much he's been through. I wanted to show that, even though he doesn't fight back because of his fear, he is strong for surviving all of this pain.

I know there isn't any Sasuke in this but I promise, ill develop their relationship next chapter! ^^

Hope you enjoyed it to the ones who read it!

Reviews are always welcome :)


	7. Chapter 7

As the weeks passed by, and the days became colder and colder, Naruto's situation did not change in the slightest. Most days he would arrive home to find Mizuki already waiting for him, drowning his frustrations in a bottle of the cheapest alcohol he could find; before releasing his pent up anger upon the blonde boy. It was getting worse. The abuse was becoming more severe.

On multiple occasions, he had limbs that were almost broken and bruises so black they rivalled the boots that created them. His back still ached in certain positions from the night Mizuki had beaten him into unconsciousness; he still remembered the nightmare. Mere pieces of the hell he endured as a child. He was barely sleeping because of the memories and his concentration in class was steadily decreasing.

The only difference in his life at the moment was Sasuke. Over the past weeks, the raven haired boy had become Naruto's rock, only adding to the will the blonde possessed to survive the torture he found himself in. They had become exceedingly close. Even though they insulted each other constantly and on the surface it appeared that they disliked one another, it was their own personal way of bonding.

Butterflies circling in his stomach was a common occurrence for Naruto whenever he saw the raven, quite often he found his face heating up and had to turn away quickly in order to conceal it. Contrary to popular belief, Naruto was not stupid. He knew what these feelings meant. But how could he act on them when he himself did not deserve the raven's utter perfection? How could he inform Sasuke of the feelings he held when he himself was nothing more than a pathetic shell of a human being? He knew for certain that Sasuke would never return them.

After a particularly harsh beating from Mizuki the night before, he awoke once again to deafening silence and the rough texture of the living room floor boards. Blood stained the wood and he knew he would have to clean it up before his foster father returned home. Naruto did not have a death wish. Shakily hauling his broken body up and into a standing position, his eyes widened at the realization that he had arranged to meet Sasuke outside of school at 8:30. Glancing at the small, cracked clock on the corner shelf he jolted into action, the time it read imprinted into his brain; 7:55.

Moving as fast as his abused form would allow he located his bag and quickly changed his shirt, flinging the blood-stained one under his bed to deal with it at a later date. Hobbling out of the door he tried his very best to conceal his winces and grimaces of agony, refusing to become a burden to his raven-haired friend. Unwilling to admit defeat.

* * *

Panting heavily, Naruto arrived at the school gates, knowing almost immediately that he was late. He probably only had a few minutes to make it on time to his lessons. His body felt extremely weak and every couple of minutes his form would tremble and spasm irritating his wound and making them ache continuously. Somehow he didn't believe his temperature was normal either; a cold sweat had begun to form on his burning forehead and the edges of his vision where becoming increasingly blurry.

Shaking his head lightly to dispel the fuzziness he glanced around the outside of the school building and an empty feeling began to grow from the bottom of his stomach and spread throughout his being. Sasuke was nowhere in sight. Clutching his bag tightly and lowering his dull, lifeless orbs to his trainers he knew he could not expect Sasuke to stay and wait for him; especially if the blonde was late. And yet he could not help the feeling of absolute betrayal he was currently experiencing. He thought he had finally found someone who would never abandon him, so where was Sasuke now? Why had he just left Naruto?

"Your late idiot." A smooth, deep voice came from behind him, only slightly tinged with annoyance. His eyes widened in surprise and a familiar warmth replaced the empty feeling he had previously been experiencing; it spread through him and illuminated his features.

Twisting his neck too see the wall behind him, he found the raven; he was leaning with his back against the wall, his hands tucked into his pockets and his cool black orbs were focused intently on Naruto. If the blonde looked close enough he could see a slight frown in his features; a tell-tale sign he was mildly irritated at having been kept waiting.

"Whatever, Bastard! I woke up late, it happens." Naruto said and in reflex gained an almost defensive position, with his arms crossed lightly against his chest and a barely noticeable pout on his features.

Smirking briefly at both the blondes answer and his expression, Sasuke pushed himself off the wall and gracefully walked over to Naruto's side before continuing on ahead, replacing the smirk with his normal neutral expression.

"Hn. We better get to class. Unlike you, I don't make a habit of being late." The raven taunted his eyes closing after speaking and hands returning to his pockets as he walked, not speeding up until Naruto was beside him.

If Naruto had felt like himself at that moment he would have gritted his teeth before responding to Sasuke's insult, however the blonde felt absolutely terrible. The cold sweat he had been experiencing only moments before had multiplied and the trembles had only increased, making it quite difficult for Naruto to conceal them. His body felt as if it was on fire, coupled with the pain of his injuries, he didn't know if he would last the day.

Forcing down the sensations, he walked to catch up with Sasuke. As they entered the school side by side, Sasuke's black orbs calmly regarded Naruto, watching his movements intently and for a split, panic-filled, second, Naruto thought he was going to question him on his current condition.

Taking in the blondes form for a second longer, something flashed in Sasuke's deep eyes before he moved them to glance at the classroom in front of them. An inaudible sigh released his lips as the raven said nothing and turned his gaze to stare ahead, entering the classroom moments later. Reminding himself in his head that he could survive the day, that he would not collapse, Naruto followed, trying to act as normal and as casual as possible.

* * *

After chemistry had ended and Kabuto Sensei had left the room Naruto turned to Sasuke with a sheepish grin on his face. "Mind if I steal your notes? I zoned out halfway through him talking." The blonde asked. He brought his hand up to the back of his neck to emphasize his embarrassment and reluctance to ask Sasuke for a favour. What he did not mention was the fact that his vision had been darkening, and the fuzziness had only been increasing as the seconds ticked by making it almost impossible for him to concentrate. Regarding him frostily for a moment, Sasuke replied.

"Idiot. Learn to pay attention." He snapped a slight glare following his statement, before he breathed a small sigh in annoyance, stood up swiftly and got out the notes that he had placed in his bag only moments ago. Shoving them in Naruto's direction for him to take.

Forgetting the condition his body was currently in for a split second, Naruto jumped out of his seat and took the papers out of the raven's hand, giving Sasuke a sunny grin in appreciation as he did so. Before he could hear the ravens reply to his antics, his vision became hazy and the blackness that edged his eyes started to consume his sight. His lips parted trying to form the raven's name, trying to call out for him, trying to get him to help. No sound escaped.

Sasuke looked on in confusion as Naruto began to act strange, his eyes beginning to show the worry he felt at the blonde's actions and his eyebrows furrowed in slight panic as he realized he did not know what to do in this type of situation.

Swaying slightly from side to side and panting heavily, Naruto brought a clammy palm up to feel his burning forehead; cold sweat was almost dripping from it and his body had begun to feel numb. "Naruto?" he heard a smooth, slightly worried voice, echo in his eardrums, yet he had no focus and did not know where it had come from. Stumbling back slightly, the darkness consumed him and all he felt was his body falling. Falling. Falling into an endless pit, before he crashed, hit the bottom and floated into painless unconsciousness. One word reverbing through his brain as it was the last one he heard before fading from reality.

"Naruto!"

* * *

Authors Note:

Hope everyone liked it!

Thank you so much for the views and the comments, im so glad you enjoy my story! 3


	8. Chapter 8

Helplessness. It was an emotion that Sasuke was rather unfamiliar with. From a young age the dark haired boy was taught by his father to be ruthless in trying to attain what he wanted. He was taught to always stay calm, to never show weakness, and to always know what to do and what answer to give in any situation presented to him. He was taught to be like Itachi. Was expected to be like Itachi, and for a time, Sasuke resented his older brother for this. It was only in the past couple of years that he had realized he did not have to meet his father's standards; him and Itachi were completely different individuals and as such had completely different goals in life. It was at that moment that he began to become close to his elder sibling once more and started to believe that maybe it would benefit him to surround himself with friends and people he cared about.

However, being anti-social most of his existence, made it extremely difficult for him to connect with people his age. They did not see him for his soul, only his external looks. They worshipped the ground he walked on for the simple fact that they believed, if they tried hard enough, they could gain his approval, destroy his façade and run bragging about it to anyone and everyone as if it was some type of trophy to be enamoured by.

But Naruto, he was different. The blonde saw _him,_ and he was not off put by what he found within the raven. He had a type of fire burning so bright in his soul that made him fight back against Sasuke's defences, made him smash and crumble and _absolutely shatter_ the raven's walls; reducing them to dust. Over the past few weeks, Sasuke had grown extremely attached to the blonde, finding himself looking forward to every lesson they had together, every second they spent talking and every insult hurled from blonde to raven and vice versa. He had become accustomed to the butterflies swirling in his stomach upon the blonde's arrival; even if they were a mild inconvenience.

Never had he felt so strongly for a human being before, in all truth it slightly scared him. Naruto had become the burning candle to his pitch-black room, the strength to his weakness, the yin to his own yang. And nothing more in this world terrified him as much as the love he felt, did. It was the ultimate weakness. The ultimate vulnerability.

Yet, there was something that had been plaguing his mind ever since the day him and Naruto had met. In certain positions he swore he could see dark splodges through Naruto's white shirt and lately the blonde's concentration had been noticeably decreasing; dark circles where starting to form underneath his eyes. Coupled with his pale, almost clammy complexion, this was enough to trouble Sasuke greatly. Not to mention how the raven could hear Naruto's stomach grumbling almost continuously throughout the day but the blonde never had any food in his possession to quell the hunger.

Vulnerability and panic were not emotions that Sasuke was accustomed to, and so, staring at one of the two people he cared most for in this world, collapse on the floor into unconsciousness, Sasuke froze. He had no clue what to do. Had no idea what had caused a reaction, such as this, from the blonde haired boy. After calling his name a few times and receiving no response, the raven's eyes widened a fraction in sheer terror. Was he still breathing?

Swiftly making his way toward the blonde, Sasuke quickly checked his pulse. Only somewhat relaxing at feeling a steady beat beneath his fingertips. Breathing slowly and forcing his mind to assess the situation from an objective point of view, Sasuke made a decision. Although reason told him to call for the school nurse, he knew that Naruto would be more comfortable with familiar people surrounding him. In addition he did not know the extent of the blonde's condition and had doubts that if it was something serious, the nurse would be able to do nothing for him. There was only one other individual within his life that he trusted, completely and irrevocably to deal with a situation like this, without judgement or scolding. Itachi.

Rapidly making his way back over to their table, he placed all of his belongings back into his bag and all of Naruto's into the blonde's, picking up both after his task was completed. He took his phone out of his pocket and immediately called Itachi. Clicking on his personal phone number, knowing then that his brother would realize it was an emergency. After a few painstakingly long rings, a calm voice answered in its usual deep tone.

"Sasuke? Is everything okay?" his brother asked and Sasuke could almost visibly see the small frown that marred his features.

"Itachi! Listen, I need you to come and pick me up immediately." he began in a hurried yet firm voice, "Naruto's collapsed and I don't know what to do!"

"Have you not informed the school nurse to contact Naruto-kun's parents?" Itachi asked, concern for both his brother and Naruto present in his tone of voice.

"No. It looks serious and I don't trust their medical abilities, plus I know for a fact his foster father is at work. Please Nii-San, I need your help." Sasuke beseeched, knowing that his brother would never even dream of judging him for his moment of weakness.

"Okay. I'll be there in 10 minutes. Make sure he is in a comfortable, upright position and that he can breathe easily. I will check him over when I arrive and we can decide what to do from there. Which classroom are you currently in?" Itachi spoke both smoothly and calmly, trying to ease his brother's worries. He could not bear to hear Sasuke's panicked voice.

"2B. Near the front." Sasuke replied quickly.

"Very well, I won't be long. And Sasuke?" His brother asked.

"…yes?" Sasuke hesitantly replied.

"Breath, stay calm, I promise everything will be fine." Itachi soothed, his tone lowering and affection lacing every word.

Breathing a small sigh, Sasuke replied, "Okay." His voice finally pacifying as he listened to his brothers soothing voice.

Ending the call, Sasuke took his elder brothers advice and slowly took a few more deep breaths, trying to calm his body and rid it of the panic he had just been experiencing. Slowly turning back to face where Naruto was laying; he took hold of the blonde's shoulders and carefully pulled him up against the table behind him, giving him a more comfortable position. Taking the jacket off that he had been wearing over his school uniform, he placed it over Naruto's body, unwilling to let the idiot freeze in the cold climate. He sat down beside the blonde and brought a knee up to his chest, resting an arm on top of it a moment later. Hesitantly, Sasuke raised his hand up to run through the golden locks. They felt smooth beneath his fingertips; almost resembling silk. The action only aided in soothing his worries.

Furrowing his dark brows slightly at the uncharacteristic display of affection, he returned his hand to his lap, leant his head against the table behind him and waited for his brother to arrive. Closing his eyes, Sasuke retreated into his thoughts, hoping to god that Naruto would be okay. That his brother would fix whatever problem the blonde was currently experiencing.

Authors Note:

I know its short, I'm really sorry!

I kinda wanted this chapter to show just how much Sasuke's feelings have developed and a bit more about his back-story in the fic.

Hope you enjoyed it lovely's! Reviews are always welcome 3


	9. Chapter 9

A gentle nudge slowly roused him from his sleep; dark orbs opened and for a moment he was completely dazed, not knowing where he was his muscles tensed. Then the events that had transpired that day came rushing back to him in a hurry and his first thought was for the blonde male who was currently beside him. Blinking to erase the sleep still present in his eyes, he swiftly glanced up to the person who had awoken him. Feeling calm circulate through his body and the tension dissipate as familiar black eyes stared back at him in, barely concealed, concern; the hand had not moved from his shoulder and he felt it give a gentle squeeze before Itachi pulled it back and offered the hand to help Sasuke up.

"Itachi." Sasuke greeted quietly, his voice taking on the normal monotonous edge that comforted him so. Inside, however, his emotions were not quite as controlled as he would have liked them to be.

Giving his brother a slight nod in greeting as he pulled Sasuke to his feet, both Uchiha's looked upon the trembling form of the blonde boy, propped up against a desk. Sweat was rolling from his forehead and his teeth appeared to be clenched. Coupled with the furrowing of his golden brows and the constant shaking, he looked absolutely ghastly and Sasuke could not help the worry that bubbled to the surface.

"I'm not sure what happened, Aniki. One moment he was fine and asking for my notes, the next he was on the floor, barely moving." Sasuke said evenly, his expression quite neutral, however his eyes conveyed to his brother the worry he felt inside.

Gracefully lowering his form to the floor, so he was propped up on his knees and directly in front of Naruto, Itachi felt his forehead. The long-haired male could quite clearly see the state of Sasuke's emotions and even though the younger tried desperately to conceal it, he knew he was concerned for the blonde. Itachi had to stay calm for both his brother and Naruto in order to decide what the best course of action would be. Now was not the time to panic. The blonde's condition could quite well be incredibly serious. Bringing his hand up, he placed it upon Naruto's forehead, almost jerking his arm back at the heat he felt rolling from it.

Naruto shifted slightly and the crease between his brows only deepened, almost as if it was painful for him to have Itachi's hand on his forehead. A small frown marred the elder Uchiha's features as he turned to Sasuke from the position he was currently situated in.

"He has an extremely high temperature Sasuke, and I'd go as far as to say that he needs immediate medical attention. I doubt the fever will break without it." Itachi said calmly, yet the frown on his face pulled the left side of his lip down in worry for his brother's friend.

Pulling his eyes from Itachi's own, he sneaked a final glance at Naruto and forced his features to remain stoic as he came to a decision. "We need to get him to a hospital, Itachi. As soon as possible." Sasuke asserted and he made his way over to the blonde's side after a small nod of confirmation from his elder brother. The raven gently pulled Naruto up by his hand and steadied him when he was on his feet. Taking one of his tanned arms and placed it around his shoulders to support the boy's weight on his left side; he wrapped his free arm around the blonde's waist for added support. As Itachi went to help Sasuke in carrying Naruto, the younger Uchiha calmly shook his head.

"No, I'll take him to the car and get him strapped in. You go inform the school about where we're going; it will be quicker that way." Sasuke said evenly, grateful, nonetheless that his brother was here to help. They could finally get Naruto some, much needed medical care.

Calmly regarding the raven for a few moments, in order to judge if Sasuke could manage the blonde's weight, Itachi gave a calm nod in affirmation; his eyes warming slightly in pride at his brothers handling of the situation. Swiftly, Itachi made his way out of the room and toward the school reception; the long haired male glanced back only once, to check if his brother was okay in carrying the blonde. What he saw quelled his slight worry as he gracefully turned to continue walking.

* * *

After hauling the blonde through the school halls toward the vehicle parked outside the dark green gates, he finally reached the car. Sasuke placed him inside onto the back seat as carefully as he could and quickly strapped his seat belt on.

Regarding Naruto thoughtfully for a moment, he brought his hand up to his friends face and gingerly traced his tanned cheek. The blonde furrowed his brows once more and a small moan of agony left his parted lips as Sasuke's hand paused on the marred area of Naruto's skin. Confusion swept the ravens features as he felt small dips in what appeared to be smooth skin, however on further inspection Sasuke could clearly see small scars indented into the side of his face. A small frown tugged at his lips in concern yet he forced it towards the back of his mind, reminding himself that he could always ask about them when the blonde regained consciousness. Retracting his hand, he ran his palm through his raven locks as the, now familiar, feeling of helplessness washed over him once again.

"Idiot. You'd better wake up soon." The raven growled lowly, his words carrying no heat behind them, only the slight distress of not being able to eradicate the pain Naruto was currently experiencing.

Gently closing the back door, Sasuke gave an almost inaudible sigh as he slowly got into the passenger side of the car; he caught a glimpse of his brother out of the corner of his vision, exiting the school and allowed his shoulders to relax into the seat, knowing they would be driving soon.

As Itachi entered the driver's side of the car, not a word was spoken between the brothers and a strained silence enveloped the interior. Both Uchiha's, worried for Naruto's wellbeing, were pulled into their own thoughts about what could have possibly happened to the blonde haired boy and as Itachi started to drive toward their designated destination, Sasuke could clearly see Naruto's scrunched up face and tense features in the car mirror. Every few seconds the blonde would jerk before his eyebrows furrowed and more cold sweat rolled down his face. Balling his hands into small fists and clenching his teeth in agitation, Sasuke only hoped that the blonde moron would pull through.

* * *

_Laughing…Giggling…Running…_

"_Daddy!" the blonde child glomped his father, finally content now that his family was complete; his daddy was home. _

_Chuckling at his son's antics, the blonde haired man embraced the 6 year old, forgetting how hard his day had been at work and relived that he was finally able to relax and be with his family. "Hey, kiddo. How've you been?" a big hand ruffled the blonde locks and in response the innocent pouted. _

"_Good, Daddy! Mommy's making Ramen! Come on!" Naruto said enthusiastically, a huge grin plastered on his young face. He finally released his father from the crushing embrace and took hold of his hand to guide him to the kitchen._

_Smiling lightly and allowing his son to guide him through their house, Minato entered the kitchen behind Naruto and a multitude of delicious smells assaulted him. Breathing in the mouth-watering aroma, his stomach growled and he directed his gaze at the woman standing in front of the stove. Her red hair only illuminated the loving grin she wore._

_Walking over to her husband, Kushina kissed him on the cheek as Naruto released his father's hand and grinned up innocently at them. "Welcome home, love." She whispered before turning her gaze to Naruto and picking him up; the smile never left her features and Minato's only increased ten-fold._

_Adoration, devotion and pure love flowed through the small blonde in an endless stream. This was his family. This was what he lived for; seeing his most precious people all together. He was content. Nothing could possibly go wrong._

* * *

_Shouting… Screaming …Burning…_

_Flames roasted the house. Searing and destroying anything within their path. Nothing was safe. A small blonde, 6 year old boy glanced up at the house that was once his home, with shimmering tears dripping down his tanned cheeks._

_All he could hear was constant shouts for 'More Water!' Gasps of horror from passer-by's and individuals who had once been his neighbour's assaulted his ears. It was deafening._

_All he could do was stand and watch in absolute terror as his sanctuary burned to the ground, his eyes burned from the sobs that ripped through his body and the tears that accompanied them; the smoke only increased the burning sensation._

_His body felt weak and yet, he could not halt the rapid stream of tears that flowed down his face._

_The blanket wrapped around the blondes trembling form did nothing to quell the devastation and absolute heartbreak that ate at him from the inside out. He felt helpless and weak and useless. _

_Bawling from the agony, the 7 year old could not stop the convulsive gasps that racked his frame. He clenched his eyes shut trying to will away the feeling of complete emptiness that consumed him. He felt hollow._

_There was no one left. His parents where dead. He was utterly alone._

Authors Note:

Okay, just to clear some bits up if anyone's confused, the writing in italics is Naruto's dream and it's a memory from before the orphanage about his family and how they passed away.

I feel so bad for putting Naruto through all this but I promise it will turn out okay, besides his such a strong character that I just love to play on that :P

I hope everyone's in character let me know if they aren't or if there's anything you'd like me to change. Naruto will awaken next chapter : )

Reviews are always welcome and I hope you enjoyed it!


	10. Chapter 10

Golden lashes fluttered slightly, yet the lids in which they belonged to remained closed. A small groan escaped parted lips as the blonde males form began to shift, signalling that he was about to regain consciousness. Sunlight poured through the hospital rooms window and illuminated Naruto's scared cheeks with its rays, his temperature had not decreased, cold sweat was still present on his forehead and even though he had been asleep for a few hours now, his body was in as much agony as when he had awoken that morning.

Slowly, his eyes began to open and crystal blue orbs came into focus. Blinking away the fuzziness still lining his vision, he did not recognize the bed he was currently laying in and his features twisted into a small frown; confused at why he was there. Naruto surveyed the room he was in; the most notable part of his current residence was the white walls, they gave the room an almost clinical vibe and made the blonde feel slightly uneasy as he continued his observation. The rest of room was bare. There were no pictures, no paintings, no decorations, only empty walls and a pastel coloured floor. His eyes widened as the confused expression slipped away from the blondes face and his features visibly paled at the realization of where he was currently lying. A hospital room. Shit.

His breathing picked up and he repeated to himself in a mantra that he must try to stay calm, perhaps they hadn't checked him over yet…perhaps they didn't know the full extent of the damage inflicted upon his body.

Breathing in deeply, he closed his eyes to calm his racing heart before shifting his arms and slowly raising his body into a sitting position. Pure agony, shot through his being and he gritted his teeth to stop a scream from escaping his lips. The pain was concentrated on his torso area, yet his limbs felt like lead and he had not a single idea how he had managed to walk and arrive at school earlier that morning.

Slowly bringing a tanned hand up to his head, Naruto rested his burning forehead against it as he tried to recall the last memories he had before his mind had gone black. He remembered sitting through chemistry, remembered talking to Sasuke and then asking for his notes after the lesson had ended; and then…nothing. His memory was blank from that moment onward.

Before he had time to contemplate how he had ended up here rather than being taken home, a familiar voice reached his ears from outside his room's door.

"He has a lot of explaining to do, Itachi." It growled before the door was swiftly pulled open and the two Uchiha brothers walked through it; Sasuke wearing a rather agitated expression and Itachi, a small frown. Neither noticed the blonde's form, propped up on the hospital bed that was, quite clearly, awake nor the crystal blue eyes that widened upon their appearance. They were both too absorbed in the new information that had been presented to them only moments ago, by the nurse, regarding Naruto's condition.

"Sasuke…" Naruto whispered hoarsely, both relief and apprehension circling inside his gut upon the arrival of his raven haired friend. He was so glad to see Sasuke and knowing that he had not left Naruto alone made him joyful beyond words, however, he did not know if the hospital had checked his injuries and informed Sasuke of the abuse his body had suffered. If they had he did not know how to explain its ruined state to the raven.

Black locks swayed as Sasuke whipped his head round, reacting immediately to the murmur of his name. He felt his tense posture relax almost immediately when his dark eyes locked with vibrant blue, relived that the blonde had regained consciousness, however his agitated expression did not falter when he recalled what the nurse had told him regarding Naruto's health.

A hand was placed on Sasuke's shoulder and only seconds later, the raven felt a reassuring squeeze follow; shifting his gaze to his older brother he regarded him patiently, knowing that Itachi was going speak.

"I'll wait outside the room, Sasuke. Please call if you need me." The eldest Uchiha said smoothly, his features calm yet his dark eyes flashed with concern as he turned his head to look at Naruto for a long moment. Seeing his brother give a slight nod from the corner of his vision, he removed his hand from Sasuke's shoulder, turned and gracefully exited the room; closing the door softly behind him.

For brief period of time no one spoke. A tense silence engulfed both occupants of the room; neither knowing quite how to start or ask the questions that jumbled their minds. Sasuke was the first to break the strained atmosphere.

"Idiot, what the hell happened to you?" the raven growled, agitated that he did not know how to approach the situation or how to ask his blonde friend about the injuries that practically covered his entire body. His dark brows were still slightly furrowed and his lips pulled down in a small frown; contrary to what Naruto might have thought, the raven's annoyance was not directed towards him.

Naruto's heart raced at the question and he immediately broke eye contact, glancing down at his light blue bed sheets, a sick feeling pooled in his stomach at the realization that Sasuke knew. A nurse had checked him over. His injuries had been discovered. They had told Sasuke about the state his body was in, and it was now time for him to explain himself. Almost choking on the words about to leave his throat, the blonde decided to feign ignorance; he could not have Sasuke getting involved in his problems, they were Naruto's burden to bear and he would never put Sasuke in harm's way. He cared about the raven too much. Much more than he was ever willing to admit.

"Nothing. I-I don't know what you mean." Naruto said quietly, cursing himself inwardly for stuttering and sounding so weak, so vulnerable, so…pathetic.

Swiftly making his way over to the blonde haired boy, Sasuke stopped at the side of Naruto's bed, towering above him, making Naruto feel even more insignificant than he already did. Clenching his teeth shut in irritation, Sasuke was unable to stop the glare from forming on his flawless features as he looked down upon the blonde; he was frustrated, he was angry and he wanted answers.

Half an hour ago Sasuke and Itachi had arrived at the hospital, carrying Naruto through reception before a doctor had taken over and put the blonde onto an available hospital bed, wheeling him to one of their free rooms. They had sat patiently, waiting for at least 15 minutes, before a nurse had approached them wearing an almost horror-stricken look on her face. She had explained in graphic detail, the condition Naruto was in. He had two broken ribs, one that had almost punctured his lung and another that appeared to be fractured in multiple places. His limbs and torso where littered in ugly black bruises that, they assumed, had not been given a chance to heal before more where created in place of the old ones.

She went on to inform them that Naruto's fever had most likely been the result of a multitude of factors; the most probable being an infection in the pricked lung, causing him to collapse as it spread throughout his body. Both Uchiha's, who were normally collected and stoic in many situations, looked at her with horrified expressions; neither could believe that Naruto had managed to get to school, let alone move. The brothers had not spoken as the nurse continued to talk, telling them that she could not give Naruto any painkillers until he regained consciousness; they did not know if he would have a negative reaction toward them and they could not risk making his condition worse.

"Naruto, look at me." Sasuke said calmly, his expression softening slightly as he looked upon the blonde's form; ever since he had first spoken to Naruto, Sasuke had always seen him as loud and outspoken and hot-headed, never had he seen his blonde haired friend look so vulnerable. He didn't like it. Sasuke wanted to wipe that expression right of the perfect tanned face that belonged to Naruto and destroy anything that would cause him to look like that again.

Fists curled and Naruto clenching his teeth in frustration at the ravens command. How could he look at him? He had lied, and Sasuke knew it. How could Naruto even stand to look upon the raven now that Sasuke knew how frail the blonde was, how absolutely pitiful Naruto had become. He could not, there was no way.

The blonde haired boy felt pale fingers situate themself underneath his chin and his lips parted slightly in surprise as the raven raised his head, gently yet firmly. His blue orbs were forced to lock with cool black and Naruto tensed at the emotion present on the ravens features; anxiety and fear touching the very core of his being at the next words that left Sasuke's sculpted lips.

"Tell me Naruto. Tell me what happened."

Authors Note:

I'm so sorry if it's absolutely terrible and rushed; I'm just so tired and didn't really have a lot of time today. I'll try and make the next chapter better : )

Still, I'm glad you took the time to read it and please feel free to review!


	11. Chapter 11

Silence surrounded both boys. Neither spoke after the command left Sasuke's mouth, however Naruto's eyes glittered with emotion at the concern he detected within the ravens words. It was almost impossible for him to believe that his perfect, dark haired friend, who rarely ever displayed such prominent emotions, was worried for his well-being. Black and blue orbs remained locked together; one waiting patiently for the blonde to speak and the other lost within his own thoughts.

He could not even begin to explain how badly he wanted to tell Sasuke everything. He could not even begin express how much he wanted to cling to Sasuke's form, and weep like the small child he knew was buried inside of him. Naruto craved the comfort. He craved the love and support and reassurance that only Sasuke could give him; craved the release that telling someone of the hell he was forced to suffer, would bring him.

However, Naruto had never been presented with this situation before, he did not know how to accept the fact that another human being wanted to protect him, listen to him…save him. Ever since his parents died he had become consumed with the words that others threw at him. He deserved pain. He deserved abandonment; the blonde truly believed in his heart that he was not worthy of the attention that Sasuke granted him, nor would he ever be.

And so, as a response to the self-hatred swelling within him and a reaction to the confusing situation he was currently in, his defences shot up. Eyes hardening into a glare and his jaw clenching in defiance, Naruto replied to the demand the only way he knew how.

"Why the hell do you want to know, Bastard!? It's none of your business anyway!" Naruto shouted before pushing Sasuke's hand from underneath his chin and glancing down at his bed sheets once more; his blonde hair shielding his eyes from view. He felt ashamed, knowing that his best friend and the person he held feelings for had seen him in this state; it was almost too much for Naruto's pride to bear. He could not even make eye-contact with Sasuke as he felt his face flame in embarrassment and shame.

Dark brows furrowed at the, almost violent outburst and Sasuke gritted his teeth together in frustration; he had to get through to the blonde at all costs, whoever had done this to Naruto was still out there, could still harm him and Sasuke could not allow that to continue. He knew that once he gave Itachi a name, it was only a matter of hours before his brother would have them arrested and taken into custody; only then would Sasuke begin to relax and focus all his attention on helping Naruto heal. But first he had to be certain Naruto was safe.

Letting out a small sigh from his parted lips, Sasuke brought a hand up and ran it through is short, black hair. Regarding Naruto with dark, sympathetic eyes, he attempted to once again reach out to the blonde. "I want to help you, idiot." Sasuke said, surprisingly softly, realising that how the blonde reacted was very much a similar defence mechanism to his own. Whenever his father had insulted or scolded him in his younger years, the raven had always lashed out, mainly at Itachi, before curling into a ball within himself. From experience, he knew the only way to coax Naruto into confiding in him and trusting him once again was to treat him like a cornered animal; carefully and gently.

Blue, tear filled orbs quickly met black ones as Sasuke's words reached Naruto's ears. As his head jerked up, the tears fell; the blonde's hands were balled into fists as liquid streamed down his scarred cheeks. He could not hold it in anymore. Sasuke's gentle words had broken him.

"Why? W-Why would you want to help me?" Naruto croaked, his words fragmenting slightly, as he tried his hardest to halt the sobs that threatened to escape his throat and maintain the aggression that had once lined his words.

"I'm your friend. Isn't that what friends are supposed to do?" The raven said bluntly, his lips pulled down in a slight frown before his dark orbs glanced to the side. "I care Naruto." He murmured, quietly.

The raven was somewhat uncomfortable with Naruto's sobs and his own blatant display of affection; it was not something he was accustomed to. However, seeing the blonde with tears streaming down his tanned face pulled at Sasuke's heart strings quite violently, and he raised his eyes in slight determination before bringing his hand to Naruto's cheeks and softly wiping away the liquid that showcased the blonde's agony.

Naruto froze at Sasuke's actions and he glanced at the raven in surprise; giving a small sniffle and forcing the remaining tears from his eyes, Naruto leaned into the comforting touch, closing his crystal orbs briefly.

For a long drawn out moment there was silence and both boys remained in their positions until Naruto let out a shaky breath and came to an unwavering decision. He raised his eyes and locked them with Sasuke's own.

"My parents died in a house fire when I was 6, I still remember it so clearly and most nights have nightmares about what happened. I suppose no child forgets when something like that happens to them…" Naruto paused and took a breath, trying to reign in his emotions and stop the shaky tone his voice had taken on. Sasuke removed his hand and gracefully sat on the edge of the hospital bed, his face stoic, yet his gaze intense; letting the blonde know that he had his complete and undivided attention.

"I had no other living family and since no one else wanted me, I was taken to an orphanage, just outside of a small town called Suna. It was…I mean, I can't really describe in words how awful it was; I was the outcast. Most of the kids picked on me for either my looks or the way I acted or what type of clothes I had on that day. I remember this one guy, Orochimaru, he was a social worker there." A dark chuckle escaped Naruto's lips, yet his eyes looked completely dead as he told Sasuke of this particular memory.

"The bastard raped me whenever he thought he could get away with it…he fucking…" another shaky breath, more tears prickled at crystalline eyes. "…he never got caught and I never told anyone, at the time I wasn't even sure what was happening, so how could I explain to someone what was going on when I wasn't even aware?"

"After I was taken away from that _place_, a man called Mizuki fostered me…" Naruto brought his sleeves up and furiously wiped at his eyes, trying to dispel the tears falling down his cheeks. He gritted his teeth in frustration when they kept falling, and returned his gaze to Sasuke; who's eyes had widening slightly as the blonde confessed everything, that he had bottled up for many years, to the raven.

"It was hell, Sasuke. I went to live with him just over two years ago and he's beaten me every day since. Some days I can barely breathe without my body hurting and I don't know what to do…and I'm…it's so fucking…I just…" Heaving a deep breath as his words and thoughts became jumbled the blonde sniffled lightly; his eyes glancing to the side, breaking eye contact with the raven. And yet, Sasuke could clearly see the fiery determination that had begun to burn behind their cool blue depths.

"I can't go back to the orphanage, I refuse to go back to that fucking place and I'm not old enough yet to get my own apartment, I have nowhere else to go, I have to stay with him." Naruto said, his voice growing softer as he finished and a hopeless expression began to form on his features. He really was pathetic. He'd just lumbered Sasuke with his problems without so much as a thought about what the raven would think or feel about them.

His eyes had dried up and no more tears formed within them; he felt so weak, so_ damn ashamed _and as his teeth gnawed on his bottom lip in vexation and anger at his own pitiful self, he could not bring himself to raise his eyes and look at Sasuke for fear of what he might find.

Sasuke had not reacted throughout Naruto's confession, only listened intently to what the blonde had to say and widening his eyes in shock at some of the words and memories that escaped Naruto's lips. Brooding silently over everything the blonde had just told him, Sasuke could not help the anger and pure hatred that flared inside of his core toward everyone who had dared hurt Naruto, and his features took on a deadly appearance when he thought about what he wanted to happen to every single one of them.

Realizing that he was glaring and Naruto still had not looked up or spoken, he breathed out slightly and regained his stoic expression, softening it somewhat when he came to a decision about what to do next. Hesitantly raising his arms, he slowly embraced the blonde and pulled him into a small hug. Both Naruto and Sasuke's posture was tense; Sasuke as he was not used to showing affection with anyone other than Itachi, and Naruto, as he was not expecting a hug, of all things, from the raven. However, slowly both boys relaxed into the warm embrace and Sasuke brought his lips to the blonde's ear.

"It's going to be okay, Naruto." He whispered, before his voice took on a rather deathly tone that made the blonde almost shiver in pleasure. "I swear, no one will ever harm you again."

Authors Note:

I hope it wasn't an anti-climax, with the cliff-hanger I left you guys with last chapter! I'm so sorry if Naruto and Sasuke are OOC, let me know if they, I find it quite difficult to tell sometimes.

I'll probably do a couple more chapters and then a prologue as I don't want to it be too long and then you guys get bored!

Reviews are always welcome ^^


	12. Chapter 12

_Mizuki._ The name reverberated inside the walls of Sasuke's mind, eating away at his subconscious; oh, how he wanted to punish the man, make him pay for daring to touch Naruto, make him cry and beg and scream for how he had broken the blonde. As he walked down the hospital's hallway, trying to locate Itachi, his hands curled into fists so tight, his knuckles had turned white under the constant pressure. Sasuke's jaw was clenched and although he wore a blank expression, anyone who walked by him could clearly see the vengeful look in his dark orbs and the deadly aura radiating off of him in waves.

The raven felt tempted to return to Naruto's side, talk to him about anything and everything that came to his brain, insult him if need be, to help reassure the blonde boy and offer him a sense of normality. However, moments after they had broken their embrace a nurse had entered the room fussing over Naruto and asking how much pain he was in; apparently it was almost unbearable for the blonde and so the nurse had offered him a strong painkiller, to which he had graciously accepted. The only drawback to the drug was that Naruto was left in a barely conscious state, making it almost impossible for Sasuke to continue talking to him.

Instead the younger Uchiha had decided to find his brother. He knew Itachi was the only person he trusted to help the blonde, his brother being a detective was perfect in this situation as he knew exactly what action to take and how to apprehend Mizuki. More importantly, Itachi knew how to help Naruto, and Sasuke was well aware that his brother would do anything for him if only he asked.

It was quite a rare bond they shared. Due to their parents being busy most of the time and hardly ever being home, the two Uchiha's had only each other to rely on; Itachi had always been protective and compassionate towards Sasuke, even when the raven was younger and had directed all his anger and hatred for his father, toward him. Itachi had only responded with love and affection. It was a trait Sasuke admired greatly.

Briskly, Sasuke walked towards the waiting area, knowing that his brother had most probably abandoned the task of waiting outside the room so that both Naruto and Sasuke had the privacy to talk. His stormy eyes flittered about the waiting room and when he located his brother, sitting back against the sofa, his legs crossed and newspaper in hand, Sasuke made his way towards him, trying desperately to unclench his jaw.

Itachi glanced up from the paper he was reading and upon seeing Sasuke's expression, a slight frown marred his features; uncrossing his legs and placing the newspaper on the small table to his left, he gave his younger brother his undivided attention and as Sasuke sat down tensely beside him, Itachi waited for him to speak.

His brother's presence had always calmed the raven, even now when Sasuke was absolutely livid and slightly shaking with barely concealed rage, he found himself relaxing both his features and his body when Itachi's concerned orbs locked with his own. Sighing heavily to himself, Sasuke brought a pale hand up and ran it though his dark hair, relaying his frustration to his elder brother.

"Mizuki, his foster father did it Itachi. The one person who was supposed to protect him, fucking beat him into unconsciousness." Sasuke said darkly, his jaw once again clenching as he glared at the table to the side, promising himself that he would make that man face the harshest punishment available for laying a finger on Naruto.

The frown only deepened as Itachi processed this information; rather disgusted that anyone could ever harm someone who was under their protection, however he was not surprised; Itachi saw these events almost daily in his line of work.

"Did Naruto-kun tell you how long this has been happening for?" Itachi asked.

"Awhile. He said that Mizuki became his guardian around 2 years ago and it hasn't stopped since." Sasuke growled, eyes hardening at having to say that god-forsaken man's name, before adding in a slightly quieter, yet determined voice "What should we do, Aniki? We have to help him."

Regarding Sasuke calmly for a moment, trying his best to help his younger brother's temper ease, Itachi spoke in a smooth voice. "I know, Sasuke. I will try my best, but I have to make a few phone-calls and Naruto-kun has to be willing to testify against Mizuki in order for there to be any hope of arresting him."

Two pairs of dark orbs locked together before Sasuke gave a quick, tense nod. "When he has the drugs out of his system, I'll speak to him again and bring it up. Hopefully he'll agree." Sasuke muttered, unsure of how the blonde would respond to being told that he would have to relive his abuse in order to give evidence of Mizuki's guilt; a deep frown spread across his face thinking of the conversation to come.

"What bothers me most is where Naruto-kun will stay. He is not 18 Sasuke and cannot live alone, while he could come and stay with us for a period, I doubt our parents would allow him to stay permanently." Itachi said, his expression mirroring Sasuke's and concern lacing every single word spoken.

Breaking eye contact with his brother, Sasuke glanced at the floor, sighing heavily in frustration as he knew Itachi spoke the truth; his mother may be more forgiving of Naruto's situation and allow him to stay with the Uchiha's but his father would never allow it. Cursing inwardly at the fact his father was a heartless bastard, helplessness curled within his stomach and he gritted his teeth at the agitation that followed. Surely there was some place Naruto could go for permanent residence, there had to be. He could never allow Naruto to continue in this position; being forced to stay with a man who violently assaulted him without batting an eyelash, it an inconceivable notion.

Feeling a reassuring hand on his shoulder, Sasuke glanced up and was met with his brother's warm expression. "Don't worry so much about it Sasuke. I promise I will find somewhere safe for him to stay, but for now let's just focus on him healing and getting him back to our home." Itachi said softly, a small smile following his statement and as an immediate response, Sasuke visibly calmed; his posture slumping slightly as his muscle loosened. He knew that when Itachi made a promise to him, he rarely broke it, pushing himself to his limit to fulfil the pledge.

As Itachi removed his hand after a small squeeze, Sasuke gave a slight nod in appreciation and agreement; decisions like that could wait until after he knew Naruto was safe and in good health. The raven was extremely thankful that his parents where away on an extended business trip, making it possible for Naruto to stay with them until they returned; he was almost positive that Naruto would agree to their request after some stubborn protests.

Watching his brother gracefully stand and leave the room after a quick, reassuring glance back at Sasuke, the raven only hoped Itachi's superiors would allow him to take the case and have custody of the blonde until Mizuki was behind bars. As his lips pulled into a slight frown, Sasuke glared at the floor; adamant that he was going to help Naruto, the only person who had ever managed to capture his romantic interest, out of his current situation. There was not a force on earth that could stop him from protecting the blonde. There was not a force on earth that could stop him from making Mizuki pay dearly.

**I always imagined Sasuke to be quite protective of the people he loved, I think that's just his personality.**

**I'm so sorry if this fic is going slowly, I promise I'll try and speed it up to get to the NaruSasu bits! In all honesty I'm a bit nervous about writing fluff between them because I find it quite difficult, but I'll try my best!**

**I love you all, thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!**


	13. Chapter 13

As Naruto regained consciousness from the drug that had been pumped into his system, he noticed his fever had receded and his body was lighter than it had been; allowing him to actually move his limbs. The first person he saw next to his bed was Sasuke; his posture was tense and his pale fingers where clenching the seats arms.

After speaking to his brother, the raven had made his way back to Naruto's room and situated himself on the chair beside his bed. Itachi had entered the room only once to inform Sasuke that they had allowed him to take the case and place the blonde in protective custody; he had departed after that, telling the raven that he had things to attend to concerning Mizuki.

Black eyes clashed with dazzling blue for the umpteenth time that day and it almost took Naruto's breath away at the intensity at which the dark orbs where gazing at him. Almost. His composure was near enough perfect, skilfully concealing the butterflies he felt racing inside of him, as he gave Sasuke a small grin; conveying to the raven that he was feeling slightly better.

"Hey." Naruto greeted hoarsely, his voice rough from being unused for a few hours yet his tone soft and pleasant. "Finally awake then?" Sasuke replied with a small smirk tugging at his lips. He could not remember the last time he had ever shown such emotion in another's presence aside from his brothers. It was a mixture of the blonde's attitude and the feelings Sasuke held towards him; even when Naruto looked quite weak and feeble in the hospital bed, he held a certain charisma about him that made Sasuke relax completely in his company. He was able to be himself unreservedly, without fear of being judged or taunted.

Grumbling to himself at the raven's haughty tone of voice, Naruto glanced to the side and allowed a slight pout to form on his lips; his arms crossing carefully across his chest. "It's not my fault that the drug they gave me was strong, Bastard." He mumbled, Sasuke's smirk only increased at the blonde's response, as mirth danced behind his dark eyes; he loved evoking reactions like this from Naruto, it was the sole reason he continued to tease him. His face slowly returned to his normal stoic expression upon hearing the blonde's next words.

"Sasuke, I'm sorry about forcing you to listen to my problems earlier. I was just so upset and I didn't think about how you would feel." Naruto murmured, a frown pulling at his features when his eyes became downcast in shame; he refused to make eye contact with Sasuke and pretended to pay particular interest to his bed sheets.

Regarding him coolly for a moment, Sasuke crossed his legs and folded his arms across his chest before closing his eyes slowly. "Idiot, if I didn't want to listen to you or didn't care, I wouldn't be here." He stated bluntly, opening his eyes shortly afterwards to observe the blonde's reaction.

Returning his blue orbs to Sasuke's own dark pair, they widened slightly in surprise before a teasing grin wormed its way across his cheeks and his eyes began to twinkle in amusement.

"So the unemotional Bastard does have feelings! I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me, I'm flattered Sasuke." Naruto said sarcastically, mockingly placing a hand over his heart whilst his grin only widened; secretly glad that Sasuke had not changed how he treated him after Naruto had told him all that had been weighing his shoulders down and willingly baring his soul to the raven. This banter was what he lived for. What he enjoyed the most. Sasuke snorted in response and he rolled his eyes in feigned irritation at the blonde's antics before slowly closing them once more and resting his head back against the chair; content with the comfortable silence that had enveloped them.

Although he would never confess this out loud Sasuke was relieved that Naruto was showing him pieces of his old self and acting in a way the raven would expect; from this Sasuke came to the conclusion that Naruto would eventually heal both his emotional scars and physical injuries, all it would take was time.

"Naruto, there's something we need to talk about." Sasuke said seriously, he released a small breath before opening his eyes; his expression matched his tone of voice and he leaned forward slightly, uncrossed his legs and rested his elbows on his knees; entwining his fingers together in front of his face. His body language expressed just how important the topic, that Sasuke was about to discuss, was.

Naruto's eyebrows furrowed at the raven's grave tone and his lips were set into a firm line; all traces of amusement wiped from his features. "…what is it?" the blonde said hesitantly, not sure if he wanted to hear what Sasuke was about to say.

"As you know my brother is a detective and I've informed him about everything that's happened to you. I know you most likely didn't want me to, but he had a faint idea about your situation anyway; when the nurse told him about your wounds." Sasuke said evenly, he watched Naruto for any reaction to his words and when the blonde gave a tense nod in both understanding and permission to continue, he did just that. "He's spoken to his superiors and they've allowed him to take on your case and keep you in protective custody until _Mizuki_ is arrested; if you accept of course. But the main problem is that he can't actually prosecute the man unless you testify against him." He paused to gouge the blonde's response and noticed his posture had become stiff and his jaw was somewhat clenched.

"The choice is yours, Naruto. We'll try to protect you either way but for us to take this fucker down, we're…_I'm_ going to have to ask you to help and give evidence to prove his guilt." Sasuke finished, his eyes flashed in anger upon remembering everything Naruto had told him about that man and everything he had done to the blonde.

There was a slightly tense silence before Naruto answered, his posture rigid and eyes hard at talking about his foster father and the hell he had put him through. "Sasuke, I would give anything for Mizuki to be put in jail, you know I would; even stand up in court against him. But what about after? Where will I go? How will I support myself?" His tone beginning with a growl yet ending with a hint of desperation, worry shinning in his blue eyes and the crease between his brows only deepening as he met Sasuke's gaze.

"That's already decided. You'll stay with me and Itachi until you've healed and while you are, my brother will find you a place to stay." Sasuke said firmly. "This time they will be people worthy enough to call themselves foster parents." Sneering slightly as he finished his sentence.

Casting his blue orbs back to the bed sheets, Naruto bit his bottom lip and contemplated Sasuke's offer. He could stay with him. Live with Sasuke until this hell was over and he was safe and Mizuki was behind bars, rightfully punished for what he had done. Perhaps something would even blossom between the two boys; something more than friendship. Perhaps he could finally have his life back.

Determination consumed his features and he looked up at Sasuke with a type of fire in his eyes that had not been present there for a long time. "Okay. I'll come with you and help put him in jail." Naruto said with renewed vigour and conviction.

Breathing out a small sigh in relief, Sasuke gave a slight nod, grateful that the blonde had decided to accept his offer and trust him. A warm feeling pooled in his stomach knowing that Naruto had faith in him and valued him enough to stand up against the man that terrified him. Against his better judgement he stood up, and gracefully made his way over to Naruto; reaching out with a pale hand to encase the blondes own, tanned one. His hand was warm against the blonde's and if Sasuke had had no pride he would have commented on how right, how _perfect _that hand felt inside his own. Naruto's eyes widening noticeably at the blatant display of affection and his lips parted as his eyes locked with Sasuke's.

No one spoke, or even breathed for a long drawn out moment. They both stared at the other and butterflies erupted throughout both boys stomachs; Naruto could not help the heat that radiated from his face and he almost clenched his teeth in agitation at its stubbornness to recede.

Even though he appeared completely stoic in his external expression, inside Sasuke was fighting the urge to lean forward and capture the perfectly parted lips that belonged to Naruto; every few seconds he would glance down at them and the urge would only increase. He knew this was not the right time to act, Naruto was hurt and vulnerable and needed time to heal but his own desires where in the way of rationality, consuming his every thought.

Breaking eye contact with the raven, Naruto glanced at their hands enclosed around each other's. "Thank you, Sasuke. For everything." He mumbled quite embarrassed at having to rely on another person yet not above showing his gratitude towards the dark haired boy. As Naruto's deep voice broke him out of his own thoughts, he registered the words the blonde spoke and almost gave a tiny smile at the sincerity he detected within them. Almost. Instead he gave Naruto's hand a light squeeze before walking to the door and breaking the spark that had, only seconds ago been flowing between both boys. "I'll just go and ring Itachi to tell him about your decision so he can pick us up and discharge you from the hospital. Wait here for a bit, you still need to rest Naruto." Sasuke said smoothly before walking out the door and closing it softly behind him.

Sighing to himself and grinning at the events that had just taken place Naruto, gingerly lay back in his bed and stared at the hospital ceiling. Perhaps this was a new start for him. Perhaps he had been granted a ray of light in this dark world. Perhaps he had finally found the person that would help him while he attempted to save himself.

**Hope you enjoyed it, I love you all and thankyou for all the reviews; there very much appreciated.**

**Let me know if theirs anything you want me to change or if anyone's not in character.**

**Much love! : )**


	14. Chapter 14

"Ow! That hurts, Bastard!" Naruto yelped, immediately flinching away when Sasuke brought the iodine covered cloth to his torso. The kitchen chair creaked in protest at his sudden movement and he almost fell backwards due to the angle he was sat in.

"Idiot, sit still." Sasuke hissed. "I'd prefer not to let these get infected." Raising a finger to point at the wounds covering Naruto's tanned skin, his pale arm hovered in the air with the cloth in hand as he waited patiently for Naruto's movements to halt, so he could continue his task.

It had been a few days since the Uchiha brothers had brought him to their home and even though his ribs were healing nicely and had set in place, the bruises and cuts across his chest looked as brutal as ever; the doctors who had treated Naruto specifically told Sasuke to make sure his wounds were clean until they closed up. And every day since then they had gone through the same routine.

Blue eyes glared at the Raven in both pain and defiance, all he wanted to do was lie down and rest and Naruto absolutely loathed himself because of this. His ribs ached and every few seconds a burning pain would fire through them; he had overexerted himself with exploring the huge Uchiha residence that morning. Sasuke was not helping the matter. Although Naruto was eternally grateful for the raven's care and everything he had done for him, it irritated him to no end that he had to rely on another, he did not deserve to be doted upon and Sasuke did not deserve to be burdened with his agony; he just wished his body would heal faster. Unfortunately, the only way Naruto knew to release pent up irritation and anger and uncertainty and insecurity was by taking it out on the person closest to him, right at this moment that was Sasuke.

Shifting his glare to the side, a small pout began to form on Naruto's lips and he resisted the overwhelming urge to cross his arms across his chest lest he do more damage. Looking at the blonds expression Sasuke sighed in agitation and brought his hand back to his lap, his brows furrowed at Naruto's stubbornness; he would never admit to such an embarrassing notion but these past few days Sasuke had rather enjoyed taking care of the blond. Even though anger still ripped through his stomach and spread throughout his being upon thinking about who had done this to Naruto, his main concern at the moment was the blonds health, but Naruto's objections were becoming a nuisance.

"Naruto, the faster you let me clean them, the faster I'll be finished." Sasuke said evenly, his eyes locking with Naruto's when the blue orbs shifted to face him once again.

Clenching his jaw at having to be looked after in such a manner and the upcoming sting he was anticipating, Naruto gave a small nod in resignation. "Fine." He grumbled and allowed his tense muscles to somewhat relax before shifting to find a comfortable position on the chair opposite Sasuke.

Focusing his attention back to the blonds chest Sasuke brought the cloth up once more and gingerly allowed the iodine to soak into the wounds; upon hearing a faint hiss of pain he leaned in closer to ensure no distance would be lost if Naruto flinched back. Gently running the cloth from one injury to the other, Sasuke's face was consumed in pure concentration and his eyes were intense, he could not allow himself to think about Naruto's proximity or how defined his muscles were for someone of his age; and so he was transfixed with the task at hand.

Inhaling sharply as Sasuke moved closer, he felt his face begin to burn; he could almost feel Sasuke's breath on his chest, could almost stroke the black locks that where so close to touching his skin and he could faintly smell Sasuke's scent…spicy almost like cinnamon. Butterflies raced through the blond's stomach making him feel both giddy and dizzy as his pain was long forgotten. A purely primal need urged him to reach forward and run his fingers through Sasuke's hair before hauling him up to connect their lips; Naruto wondered how it would feel. Would there be sparks like in so many cliché movies? Or would it be more like a soft candle burning evenly throughout? His palms almost shook at how hard he was trying to hold back, he had never felt so strongly for someone in his entire life and living with Sasuke only made them spiral into something he couldn't, nor wanted to control.

Desperately trying to halt the direction his thoughts were going in, Sasuke paused in in his ministrations. Naruto was warm and through the cloth he could feel how soft the blonds skin was; even with bruises and wounds and cuts Naruto was undeniable beautiful, and so utterly perfect it almost stole Sasuke's breath, taking it away like some common pickpocket. He wondered how Naruto would feel against him, skin on skin, breath on breath, two entities becoming one. He wondered how it would feel for Naruto to accept his love and reciprocate that adoration. Would he finally feel complete? Was it possible for his loneliness to be chased away so easily? He hoped so. Sasuke was willing to cherish the blonde so wholly, so completely, willing to give his body, his heart his very soul if it would mean Naruto's safety and security and happiness. Oh, how deeply he'd fallen down the rabbit hole.

Feeling eyes on him, Sasuke gave in to the temptation he felt and raised his dark orbs; instantly they locked with vibrant blue and he almost raised a perfectly sculpted brow at the light flush adorning Naruto's cheeks.

The burning on Naruto's face only increased as Sasuke regarded him, his face a calm façade that hid behind it so many raging emotions it was difficult for the raven to stay grounded. Licking his lips unconsciously Naruto studied the raven and logged every single feature he had never noticed before to memory; he felt unworthy to be in the presence of such perfection. Sasuke most likely had everything he wanted, everything he needed, it was an uncanny thought for Naruto to even believe that Sasuke might hold a slither of the affection the blond held for him; how could he? Naruto was nothing. A mere orphan who had been violently abused by his stepfather. Worth less than the discarded pennies found on street corners, how could he ever hold a place in Sasuke's life? Let alone in his heart.

However, his eyes widened in complete shock as Sasuke began to move slowly, so that their lips where on the same level and dangerously close to connecting; the words he wished to speak died in his mouth and both boys eyes became almost glazed at the prospect of leaning forward just a few more inches. Both feared rejection. Both feared the loss of their friendship should one not return the others feelings. Yet at this particular moment in time, neither boys were bothered by such trivial matters, the only thought reverberating through the walls of their minds were _kiss him. Lean forward and kiss him!_

Closer.

Closer.

Clo-

"I do hope I'm not interrupting anything." A smooth voice spoke from the doorway and in response both bodies jolted back and faced the area where the noise had come from; only Naruto gave a slight hiss and wince in pain at having moved his injured ribs. The blush returned full force upon tanned cheeks and on close inspection pale cheeks where adorned by a slightly red tint; the only difference being that Sasuke's expression had irritation mixed in.

Leaning his left shoulder on the entrance to the kitchen was Itachi; the suit he wore for work was unbuttoned at the top and his tie loosened, a soft smirk adorned his flawless features and his eyes softened upon realising just _what_ he had been about to walk in on. He was truly happy that Sasuke had found someone who complemented his personality from almost every angle however; he could not help but tease his little brother, it was so rare that Sasuke was as relaxed as he had been this past month or so after meeting Naruto.

Before Sasuke could reply Naruto raised his hand to the back of his neck, careful not to cause himself pain, and gave Itachi a sheepish grin. "Hey, Itachi! How was work?"

"Good, thank you Naruto-kun." His smirk transforming into a small smile. "However I do have some important news on Mizuki's situation that I think you should hear." Itachi said seriously, his tone low and almost grave as he spoke about Naruto's previous foster father; whether the news was positive or negative would completely depend on the blond's reaction.

Naruto's face instantly paled and whilst he did not forget about his and Sasuke's actions only moments prior to this, fear pushed the memory to the back of his mind for him to deal with when he was not burdened with questions about what would happen to the man who had brutally assaulted him so.

Sasuke's features returned to their stoic expression and his eyes became hard, almost anticipating the worst. He followed his brothers graceful movements as Itachi slid out a chair and situated himself so he was facing both boys, his elbows were placed on the table in front of him and his fingers interlocked in front of his face.

"At the moment we have him in our custody." Itachi said bluntly, getting straight to the point so that neither would be waiting for very long. "Unfortunately we can only keep him detained for 24 hours without evidence before he has to be released." His tone grim and steady, an undertone of sharpness laced every word spoken.

"Naruto-kun, I need you to give me a formal statement to use against him. Once we have that we can charge him and take him to court; but it's your decision, if you don't feel comfortable talking about what happened to you then do not force yourself." Itachi ended in a firm voice, completely serious about the blonds comfort zone. He had seen it before, people who absolutely crumbled when relaying their experiences to him, only afterwards unwilling to charge their abusers when the damage had already been done.

Processing the information, Naruto turned his slightly worried face to Sasuke, willing himself not to look down at the floor when the raven met his gaze evenly; he still felt high on the emotions Sasuke had sent coursing through him when he had begun to lean forward. But now was not the time to be dwelling on such events. He needed to put his own safety first and worry about whether Sasuke liked him like that afterwards.

As Sasuke gave Naruto a small nod in reassurance, the blond took a deep breath and moved his gaze back to Itachi, even though hesitation was still present in his voice, he was determined to not let Sasuke down and fight for the justice he needed.

"Okay, I'll tell you exactly what he did to me."

**I'm so sorry it's been a while since I updated this, life got in the way and admittedly I'm a tad stuck on what more to write for this, I wanted to develop Sasuke and Naruto's relationship a bit more, but tell me if I'm going to fast or if you have any suggestions.**

**Also Iodine was what I used to have to put on my wounds and not hydrogen peroxide so that is what Naruto gets to; it honestly stings really bad : (**

**Hope you enjoyed it, I'm really sorry if not! Love you all!**


	15. Chapter 15

Flowers and trees of almost every shade surrounded him. The sun reflected off of them and created a scene that reminded Naruto of the pristine oil paintings situated on walls of galleries; flawless and serene and utterly beautiful. He gave a deep sigh and rested his head on the tree that he was sitting against; the burning flame in the sky warmed his face and very slightly calmed the turmoil he felt within.

It had been a few days now since he had told Itachi about the extent of the abuse inflicted upon him by Mizuki and truthfully, he was still shaken. Although the man had been extremely calm and collected, reassuring Naruto that it was okay and that he could never hurt the blond again, talking about every kick, every punch, every assault that he had taken in graphic detail was rather disconcerting. Naruto was strong though. That was what Itachi had said and if the Uchiha believed so wholeheartedly in Naruto's ability to _survive, _then Naruto would also believe that he had the ability to push forward, no matter how hard it would be.

Now it was all a waiting game. Itachi had recorded the interview and had given it to his superiors as evidence before immersing himself in finding a suitable new guardian for Naruto and this time the Uchiha swore he would find someone who would nurture and care for the blond as he was supposed to and deserved to be cared for. There were no words that Naruto could give to describe the absolute gratitude he held for what both the Uchiha brothers had done for him. They had taken him away from the pain, given him the means to rescue himself and leave behind the part of his life that he loathed; more importantly though they had given Naruto warmth, friendship and love; which, at the beginning, was not something he would even consider associating with the name Uchiha.

As Naruto moved his hands from his lap to run them along the smooth grass by his sides, his thoughts began to drift to Sasuke and his brows furrowed slightly.

They had not spoken about what had taken place as Sasuke had cleaned Naruto's wounds a few days ago, it almost seemed like Sasuke had been avoiding the topic completely, changing the subject as soon as Naruto started to bring it up in their conversations. It was beginning to hurt. Did Sasuke not see Naruto as good enough? Perhaps it was just a fluke and something that Sasuke had tried to do in the moment. Perhaps Sasuke did not reciprocate Naruto's feelings. Perhaps the raven was secretly trying to hint at them just staying friends rather than becoming something more.

It was infuriatingly confusing.

Naruto sighed heavily in irritation at not knowing just what Sasuke was thinking, just what Sasuke was _feeling. _The emotions that coiled up within him upon seeing Sasuke were so intense that Naruto didn't believe he could keep them to himself any longer; they reminded him of a sparkler on the darkest of nights, sizzling to life and burning so bright that their flare could be seen for miles. He didn't believe any physical pain that he had endured could compare to the sharp agony in his gut that coursed through him upon thinking that Sasuke did not return his adoration.

Engrossed so deeply in his own thoughts, Naruto did not sense another person approaching his area beneath the tree until they were standing beside him.

"I should have known you'd be out here," Sasuke said, "I brought you lunch." Extending a pale arm forward, Naruto only just registered the fact that Sasuke was holding two bowls and upon taking one from the raven he noticed it contained ramen.

"Thanks!" Naruto grinned trying to conceal the battle that raged inside of his head and his heart whenever he was in Sasuke's presence, before tucking into his favourite meal.

Sasuke rolled his eyes softly at the blond's reaction to the particular food and then sat down beside him, eating his own ramen at a much slower and more elegant pace than Naruto did. He had been meaning to speak to the blond boy for some time now, yet did not know how to approach the topic, nor did Sasuke want Naruto to feel pressured due to the slightly vulnerable state he was in at the moment, from leaving his old life behind; watching Naruto bask in the morning sun, from the kitchen window, as his hair glinted like golden nuggets and crystal eyes closed in contentment, had made Sasuke's decision for him. Even if Naruto did not feel the same or did not feel ready to have a relationship with him, he needed to at least inform the blond of how he was feeling. It scolded him to the very core whenever Naruto walked by and he felt an overwhelming desire to protect the blond from any more harm the world was willing to inflict on him. Keeping the emotions to himself was almost unbearable for Sasuke and very unlike him. Normally the younger Uchiha was blunt and sharp, almost the point where he disregarded people's emotions, not batting an eyelash in response to the hurt they felt afterwards. That was just his nature; however, somehow Naruto had managed to completely _destroy_ all sense of normality and conviction Sasuke once held, worming his way so neatly inside Sasuke's walls that they crumpled to dust whenever he uttered a single word. For Sasuke it was maddening and unlike anything he had ever experienced before.

Feeling eyes on him, Sasuke shifted his gaze to the side and locked eyes with vibrant blue; Naruto had finished his ramen noodles and was looking at Sasuke with a strange expression that the raven could not place, his eyebrows were slightly furrowed and his lips were pursed. If Naruto had not looked so serious, Sasuke would have been amused at the expression that graced his features. Instead he raised a perfect dark brow and placed his bowl to the side.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked.

Naruto looked away at Sasuke's question and the crease between his eyebrows only deepened and his teeth began to nibble at his bottom lip.

A pause.

"I-I just wanted to apologize…about the other day." Naruto began hesitantly. "It was my fault, I shouldn't have tried to – you know – and it's totally okay if you don't like me like that! I can understand if it was an in the moment thing..." he trailed off, mumbling the last parts of his sentence as his face burned from the stare he felt coming from the raven. Naruto had no idea how Sasuke was going to react and he could not even bring himself to look at him after implying, within his statement, that he held feelings for Sasuke.

Sasuke stared blankly at the blond for a couple of seconds before realizing that he was not going to look up. "Naruto." He said, smoothly; willing the blond to raise his eyes once again and as Naruto did, quite reluctantly, Sasuke regarded his face for a moment, taking in the flush on his cheeks and the uncertainty within his eyes.

"It wasn't an in the moment thing, as you put it." Sasuke stated, trying desperately to mask the humiliating flutter of his heart before asking a question of his own. "Do you? Like me, that is." His face gave nothing away as he asked Naruto the question that had been twisting and turning and burrowing through his mind since he had first met the blond, he did not even allow the embarrassment he felt to show in his facial expressions, after it was spoken in the open air.

Shifting uncomfortably at being asked such a direct question, Naruto's cheeks only burned brighter as he weighed his options; he could outright lie and tell Sasuke that it was completely ridiculous to even think that Naruto felt that way, he could brush it aside with a grin and tell Sasuke he only thought of him as the Bastard he was and in the process protect himself from any rejection that may come from his confession. However, Naruto did not want to do that, on the off chance that Sasuke did return his affections he could not bear hurting the boy that had done so much for him and he needed to let Sasuke know, needed to tell him everything, even if it did not turn out as he so wished, Sasuke would understand, right? He had to.

"Yeah…" Naruto murmured as he raised his hand to the back of his neck and tried to deal with the awkwardness that followed his answer. "Do you?" he asked Sasuke quietly, his gaze once again shifted to the floor, waiting anxiously for the obvious 'no' that was about to escape the ravens perfectly sculpted lips. He was prepared, he would be able to move on eventually, he had to, there wa-

"I do." Sasuke said softly, the arrogant undertone that was usually present in his voice had completely dissipated and Naruto's eyes widened in shock at his reply before locking gazes with the raven once more; Sasuke sounded open, honest and downright _vulnerable_. It was a tone Naruto had only heard once when Sasuke was supporting him in the hospital. His heart thumped violently in his chest and a warm smile began to spread across his face at the realization that Sasuke, _Sasuke_ liked him back.

Naruto felt his heart explode as a pale hand hesitantly reached out and entwined its fingers with his own tanned ones; he could not even comprehend how quickly his life had changed, gone from a hopeless, endless black abyss of agony to one perfect moment with one perfect boy by his side, helping him along. This was what happiness felt like, he was sure.

Dark eyes glanced down at their connected hands and for a moment he regarded them with serenity before he remembered exactly why he had been looking for Naruto in the first place; Sasuke did not want to spoil the picture perfect moment, however Naruto needed to know where he was going to be staying from now on.

"Naruto," Sasuke said as he looked up at the blond, "Itachi told me to tell you that he found two people who want to adopt you and he thinks it would be a good idea for you to go and meet them this week."

Naruto's blue eyes dimmed slightly upon hearing this news and he squeezed Sasuke's hand tighter; it wasn't that he was not grateful for the new home, but he wanted to stay with Sasuke so badly that it ached and he had enjoyed these past few weeks at the Uchiha residents, in Sasuke's presence. He knew that the Uchiha's parents would be home soon from their trip though; they would not allow Naruto to stay here permanently; besides Naruto needed a stable home and a stable guardian to raise him. He deserved that much for what he had been through.

"Who are they?" Naruto asked, his curios nature immediately took over the dejection he felt seconds ago.

"Their names are Iruka and Kakashi." Sasuke said evenly. "They don't live that far from here and are actually friends of my parents; they've been looking to adopt for some time now…" he trailed off, giving Naruto a moment to process the information and then gave his hand a tentative stroke with his thumb; offering reassurance. "I'm surprised Itachi didn't mention them before, but I suppose he just wanted to be thorough." He added quietly as an afterthought.

Instantly, Naruto brightened and the sparkle returned to his eye upon hearing that they lived quite close. "So I'll still be able to see you outside of school?" he asked hopefully, a cheesy grin spreading across his face.

Sasuke snorted gently.

"Of course, Idiot." He said softly, no heat existing behind the insult; only affection laced his every word as Naruto began to stroke Sasuke's hand with his thumb also.

Warmth radiated off of Naruto's entire being at the response and a spark of crackling energy passed between both boys as blue and black clashed in a battle of utter love and unadulterated adoration; they both began to lean forward in unison, it was absolutely intoxicating for them both to be in each other's presence as lovers.

Their hearts drummed at exactly the same speed, exactly the same rhythm as their lips brushed and then connected. Sasuke could feel Naruto against him, his hair, his skin, his nose, his hands, absolutely everything and the loneliness that had once been such a huge part of his existence withered away like the flowers in winter, disintegrated into total nothingness; until there was only Naruto left.

The blond boy could not breathe, could not _think_ from the sheer pleasure of having the person he so adored pressed against him in such a way. The feeling was indescribable. It was intense and yet subtle at the same time, burning and yet so utterly cooling that his body almost broke at the emotions he felt and could not contain.

And in that moment, that beautiful, perfect, whole moment, Naruto knew he was safe, knew he was loved and had found, not only someone to live for, but someone he would die for without a second thought; without a moment's pause. He could give himself fully to Sasuke and know that, in return, Sasuke would do exactly the same. And as their tongues brushed and dancing and tangled together Naruto was absolutely certain of one fact.

He had found home.

-_fin_

**I really hope this last chapter is okay for everyone and doesn't seem rushed.**

**I'm quite sad that it's done and I might do a sequel but I'm really not sure how I feel about this story…do you think it flows okay? I need to work on my dialogue I think.**

**Thank you to everyone who stuck by me through this and read it, the reviews where very much appreciated; your all so lovely : )**


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